Many of the most famous stories told to young children were Aesop's fables, creative stories designed to teach valuable life lessons. One of the most memorable for me was the tale of the lion who spared the life of a mouse and was then saved by the mouse. Skeptical that this tiny creature would ever be able to do anything for him, the lion's pride in his size and strength almost prevented him from showing kindness. This story particularly resonates in my mind because it teaches the moral that kindness and virtue are never wasted. Machiavelli's controversial treatise, The Prince, offers a method of governing through fear. His cynical perspective of human nature causes him to lose faith and trust in others. It fails to recognize humans as relational beings, so its methods are only temporarily effective. Conversely, understanding and exemplifying Aristotle's definition of true virtue in his Nicomachean Ethics will bring reverence, love, and happiness to a leader. Therefore, the community will thrive when that individual believes in the common good and truly cares for others. Since love ultimately overcomes fear, compared to Machiavelli's cynicism and skepticism, Aristotle's beliefs about virtue would provide a better guide to achieving long-term success. First, I will discuss Machiavelli and Aristotle's contrasting views on human nature and virtue. Next, I will discuss the effectiveness of Aristotle's advice versus Machiavelli's fear tactics and provide hypothetical examples. Finally, I will discuss how virtue leads to long-term success for both individuals and communities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay "If you must destroy those who can or might harm you, renew the old laws with new measures, be severe and lenient, magnanimous and liberal, disband the old armies and replace them with new ones, meanwhile manage your relationships with the other princes and kings in such a way that they will be happy to help you and cautious in harming you.”[1] Throughout the treatise, Machiavelli demonstrates his little faith in human nature evil, distrusts and dislikes others, simply creating relationships that promote personal gain. Cynicism causes people to constantly feel insecure and anxious, possibly leading them to make rash decisions based on emotions , people can act on even the slightest suspicion or doubt about a person's loyalty. These types of people essentially cannot form meaningful relationships with others beyond the helpful friendships that are lost when services no longer come. provided.[2] The obsession with power can consume the individual to the point that his most important goal is to maintain power rather than care for those over whom he rules. Showing little control, these individuals may act out of anger, provoking something that could actually lead to their downfall. If people are willing to provide assistance to their neighbors out of pure altruism rather than obligation, a well-functioning society can develop. This is because everyone can contribute with their efforts to improve the standard of living. In contrast to Machiavelli, Aristotle believes that human beings can achieve true virtue as long as they possess a willing and open heart. Rather than believing that people always intend to do evil, he believes that virtue is a cycle and “by abstaining from pleasures, we become self-controlled, and once we areself-controlled, we are better able to abstain from pleasures.” (36) One of the key factors for a successful leader according to Machiavelli is cunning, or the ability to deliberate well and best choose the means to achieve what is evil but humanly attainable.[3] Demonstrating his complete lack of sympathy for others, this informs the leaders' methods are negligible as long as the end goal is achieved. However, Aristotle places emphasis on the art of prudence, that is, deliberating well and choosing the best means to achieve what is good and humanly achievable.[4] People who strive to do the most good possible can become a source of light and hope for those who may have never experienced love or virtuous friendship. Spreading goodwill can induce generosity in people so that a domino effect occurs and they are motivated to help others. Furthermore, people are not as intrinsically evil as Machiavelli believes, although they may sometimes lean towards evil due to temptations. Believing that people are and will always continue to be sinful and malevolent demonstrates a lack of hope in society. Conversely, if there is faith in human nature, communities can strive to improve themselves and help others. If people are willing to provide assistance to their neighbors out of pure altruism rather than obligation, a well-functioning society can develop. This is because everyone can contribute with their efforts to raising the standard of living. they are rotten, they will break whenever they think it is to their advantage; but fear implies the fear of punishment, from which they will never be able to escape”.[5] One of the most notable topics in The Prince is Machiavelli's discussion of using cruelty and fear tactics to rule. Completely ignoring the long-term effects of deception and harm, it holds a narrow perspective on maintaining power. He realizes only the immediate effects of the fear and does not consider any of the consequences of his suggestions. He is absolutely concerned with how people are immediately affected and ignores the important fact that fear breeds hate. While his treatise may set an individual up for immediate success, that success will be temporary and there will ultimately be a loss of power. At first, fear seems effective because initially no one has the courage to act. However, when people realize that everyone else shares the same sentiment, trust is restored through numbers. This mutual challenge is extremely dangerous because those who are apparently loyal can conspire against their leader and formulate plans for an uprising. Riots damage the state or whatever is being protested, and the leader's reputation is permanently tarnished. Punishing an individual with extreme cruelty is also ineffective because it only breeds more fear rather than loyalty. For example, let's consider a situation where an employee of a large company fails to fulfill his duties or responsibilities to that company. Firing that employee to demonstrate that there is a “zero tolerance” policy will only breed more resentment among other employees and create an increasingly hostile environment. There is no admiration for the boss and employees are apathetic about their responsibilities. This means that neither the company nor the boss benefits. Workers will be reluctant to work for the responsible individual or do anything that would benefit the company outside of their immediate work. Concerned only with their own safety, they would be willing to overthrow their leader if the opportunity arose. Fear must beconstantly renewed because the effects are temporary, but when a leader is loved, that love can grow with time. In complete contrast to deception and fear, love drives people to serve their leaders out of admiration. By becoming a figure of reverence, those around that individual will possess a heart of service and may sincerely desire to act in a way that benefits their leader. For example, good parenting requires teaching children to display virtue rather than deception and cruel punishment through fear. It is crucial that evil is not ignored because children must be exposed to both sin and good. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of parents to emphasize virtue so that their children choose to do good. Parents must demonstrate love to their children so that they strive to please them rather than disappoint them. Fear only fuels resentment in children, so that as they age they develop a rebellious nature. Teaching and instilling virtue in young minds also creates new generations of compassionate, cooperative, and effective communicators. Without this virtue no one would believe in morality and the world would be chaotic due to self-indulgence. We would lose hope for moral progress in society, thus increasing cynicism, which is never favorable. activities, the more durable they are, because the supremely happy men spend their lives in these activities in the most intense and continuous way, and this seems to be the reason why such activities cannot be forgotten.”[6] Machiavelli's thirst for power it is evident through his idea that power guarantees happiness. Arguing that a person's innermost desires can be realized through the acquisition of power, he believes that love is overrated and that "men forget the death of a father faster than the loss of an inheritance".[7] surpasses those of the loss of a loved one, Machiavelli portrays his own feelings towards relationships. He does not realize that people are capable of loving others for reasons other than the luck or profit they may receive. This is precisely why he supports the exploitation of men. Machiavelli emphasizes materialistic fulfillment that ultimately does not satisfy the void filled by human companionship. However, Aristotle's advice can bring real happiness, as his opinions lead to a life with far fewer regrets. When an individual strives to do good for the community, he or she is more satisfied with himself. A life of hatred and deception can cause bitterness and constant dissatisfaction that can ultimately never be resolved by any amount of material wealth. In contrast, virtue increases an individual's ability to love and spread this love to others. Virtue can lead an individual to serve the community because happiness, friendship and kindness generate generosity and compassion. Similar to the cycle that leads to self-control, this, in turn, causes the community to feel a sense of adornment towards that individual. When the community shows its appreciation towards that person, he becomes more and more virtuous and happy, so the cycle repeats. In the long term, happy people will continue to be satisfied and perhaps become happier as time goes by. Furthermore, this virtue creates a sense of responsibility instead of obsession with maintaining personal power. Individuals will feel that it is their duty to serve the interests of those they rule over and ensure that they are informed about everything that is happening. This leads to active involvement in public events, which assures citizens of the caring nature of their leader. When people are aware that their problems come, 46.