... regarding human nature this quarter was quite extensive. Of notable interest was the seeming drift toward pessimism as the years went on; Socrates and Plato were arguably the most optimistic, and then came the ever-pessimistic Machiavelli, and finally we ended up with Dostoevsky and Huxley, whose grim outlooks ... literature was not actually written by Socrates, but it is all his content; it is actually a transcript of the trial of Socrates, written by Plato, who was his most prominent student. During his trial, Socrates acted as one might expect as philosopher to act; he was very frank, ...

• Word Count: 923
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... of these qualities was his love for classical culture. He studied works from Aristotle, Galileo, Livy and Tacitus. His writings were also based upon and guided by people such as Plato, Cicero, and St. Augustine. In addition to being a leader and a great writer, he was also a playwright. His plays never made it big but some were known locally in Florence. In ... ...

• Word Count: 949
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... philosophers were concerned largely with the theoretical politics of an "idealist" prefect society. Machiavelli presents Medici with a sort of guidebook of successful political practices. Machiavelli goes against Platonic philosophy. Whereas Plato believed that human kind was virtuous by nature, with evil men being but a small fraction of the species, Machiavelli felt that it was virtuous who were a minority in a world of ... ...

• Word Count: 581
• Approx Pages: 2

... Machiavelli as one of the world's forefathers in modern political theory for many reasons. Machiavelli's makes a clear break from the Western tradition of political philosophy that preceded him. Beginning with Plato and Aristotle, the thinkers of this tradition were concerned with issues of justice and human happiness, and with the constitution of the ideal state. Until its final chapter, "The Prince ... ...

• Word Count: 311
• Approx Pages: 1

... philosophers were concerned largely with the theoretical politics of an "idealist" prefect society. Machiavelli presents Medici with a sort of guidebook of successful political practices. Machiavelli goes against Platonic philosophy. Whereas Plato believed that human kind was virtuous by nature, with evil men being but a small fraction of the species, Machiavelli felt that it was virtuous who were a minority in a world of ... ...

• Word Count: 581
• Approx Pages: 2

... de" Medici, he analyzes the characteristics of numerous past rulers. In doing so, Machiavelli presents Medici with a sort of guidebook of successful political practices. Machiavelli goes against Platonic philosophy. Whereas Plato believed that human kind was virtuous by nature, with evil men being but a small faction of the species, Machiavelli felt that it was the virtuous who were a minority in a world ... ...

• Word Count: 649
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... talent, but also produced a new breed of thinkers into society. These new thinkers were called humanists, and they Jaramillo 2 revived the old works of Greek and Roman philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. Among these humanists was Machiavelli. Machiavelli was a controversial humanist writer whose realistic views of politics and leadership have set him apart from other Renaissance humanists. During his exile ... ...

• Word Count: 537
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... in a wide range of fields. The early humanists, such as writer Francesco Petrarch, studied the works of the ancient Greeks and Romans for inspiration and ideology, mixing the philosophies of Plato and other ancient thinkers with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Under the influence of the humanists, literature and the arts climbed to new levels of importance. 2. Niccolo Machiavelli ... ...

• Word Count: 455
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate