Philosophers Niccolo Machiavelli, John Locke and Karl Marx

With great ideas, comes and follows great change. Niccolo Machiavelli, John Locke and Karl Marx are renowned philosophers who paved way to the most prominent forms of government in the world. Through their literature they have created a huge wave of revolutionary ideas that exist in the several forms of government to this day. On one hand, Machiavelli advocates political absolutism. It is a form of government in which the governed accept the powers granted to a single ruler usually vested in a king or an emperor by divine manifestation. On the other hand, both Locke and Marx contradict the Machiavellian ideology of government. In contrast, Locke and Marx both have coinciding ideals, in which they believe that government is maintained†¦show more content†¦Whatever gives the king political power no matter how shrewd and apathetic the actions maybe, is considered upstanding. The state has standards to meet its interests such as peace and order, the protection of its citizens and therefore must have everything in its disposal. This is the justification for the use of power to protect the interests of the state and its ruler. Consequently, Machiavelli’s ideas heavily lean towards despotic rule. According to him, morality is not a prerequisite for a leader. With morality, the things he has at his disposal are limited. The ruler might use deceptions, assassinations or conspiracies, all of which devoid morality, to protect his interests. Morality is more favorable for citizens because it makes them obey the rules of the land and inspire civic duty. However, Machiavelli distrusts human nature. If all men in society are inherently corrupt and flawed, then an absolute power must be required to tame the beast of human evil. A supreme power must be required to control the imprudent desires of men. The essence of Machiavellian rule therefore, is that political order can only be attained only through political power. Contrarily, the principles of John Lo cke on government oppose the despotic and centric power of Machiavellian Government. In Locke’s view, the government must not have the absolute power that controls the people. He objected to the British royalist rule and instead pushed towards limited government andShow MoreRelatedEssay on Impact of the Writers of Antiquity on Modern Times613 Words   |  3 Pagesand descriptions of their theories. Born of brilliant men like Marx and Machiavelli, to name a few, these theories are preserved in books, illustrated in day-to-day domestic and international affairs, and immortalized in modern theories and documents. They are the predecessors of present theories that have been reinterpreted for a different era and reapplied in a new context. 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