Controversies of Governance and Justice Discussion

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Read chapter3 Submit 3 main summary points here. Focus on the ideas of the reading not the author. Each will be graded against the rubric. < Search 5:13 PM @ * 85% Image 5.1 Santi di Tito's portrait of Machiavelli SECTION 2 - Niccolò Machiavelli - Controversies of Governance & Justice For most people, global justice equals impartiality, where decisions or acts are based solely on objective criteria absent bias, prejudice or preference. Many believe that true justice for all is synonymous with fair- ness for all. It is clear from Machiavelli's readings that he believed that everybody is expected to be honest and straightforward. History shows us, ha ver, that often it is people who are forceful and, at times devi- ous, who win. This is what Machiavelli believed to be the reality of poli- tics. Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) was an Italian philosopher, writer, and politician. A “Renaissance Man,” Machiavelli was also a poet, play- wright, and musician (Capponi 418). His famous works, Discourses on Livy and The Prince, are widely seen as helping to establish modern po- litical philosophy (418). Born the son of a lawyer and brought up in Flor- ence, Italy, Machiavelli was a well-educated humanist. At only twenty- nine years old, he was appointed second chancellor of the republic (419). Miles Unger, author of Machiavelli: A Biography, believes that Ma- chiavelli's name has evolved into an adjective used to describe any cyni- cal act, or the pursuit of power, without conscience (Unger 419). Unger believes this to be an unfair and inaccurate label (419). While reading the selection from Discourses on Livy, pay attention to the structure and logic of Machiavelli's arguments. You may notice that he was simply criti- cal of the capacities of ordinary citizens to govern themselves (Balot 559). Machiavelli emphasized and endorsed continuous elite intervention in the political life of the mixed regime, even as he paid due attention to the people's participation in a political regime with appropriate laws and institutions (559). Machiavelli's political theory, as embodied in Dis- courses on Livy, challenges the transparency and equality that contempo- 32 < Search 5:13 PM @ * 85% Gallery 5.1 Niccolò Machiavelli Statue of Machiavelli in Florence, Italy rary egalitarians and democrats embrace (559). Thus, the purpose of gov- ernment becomes, in large measure, to organize the people so that they do no harm to one another. In Discourses on Livy, Machiavelli explains the structure of a repub- lic and its benefits. While Discourses is essentially structured as Machiav- elli's commentary on the work of Livy (who wrote of the history of Rome), Machiavelli himself also makes several historical generalizations. Like- wise, he extensively relates the ancient Rome of Livy to the Italy of his own time. Ultimately, he concludes that all time periods are similar. Discourses on Livy contains three books. In Book I, Machiavelli dis- cusses the inner-workings of a republic. Book Il discusses warfare while in Book III Machiavelli explores the proper leadership of a republic. Regarding leadership, Machiavelli suggests that only a single per- son is capable of establishing a republic or fixing a city that has become corrupt. For this reason, he believes, a proper republic needs one person to create it, then once established, many to lead it. However, to establish a republic in a corrupt city, it is better to form a monarchy than a democ- racy. Still, it is ideal for even a monarchical republic to have popular sup- port. For this reason, Machiavelli believes that the best type of state is a republic that has a mixed constitution (Calabresi 527). If you believe, like Machiavelli, that in politics the ends justify the means (scrupulous behavior is not necessarily a requirement of action), then you are challenging/challenged by one of the most fundamental tra- ditions of philosophy that we have inherited. In short, that justice and fair- ness is the fundamental virtue of all political institutions (see par. 1). Fur- ther, Machiavelli discounted idealism; he believed that if, as a politician, you subscribe to an ethic, you have a handicap. Take a look at the political landscape of your home country. Do you see Machiavelli's arguments about justice and leadership reflected therein? Machiavelli would absolutely endorse the manner in which some leaders are removed from positions of power when they are perceived to undermine effective governance through an insistence on ethical behav- ior. Ethics, in short, are secondary to effective leadership. 33
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Running Head: PHILOSOPHY

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Philosophy
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PHILOSOPHY

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Controversies of governance and justice

According to Niccolo Machiavelli, many people believe that global justice is the same
as impartiality because most of their decisions are founded on objective criteria which
eliminates prejudice and preference. This group of people also believe that justice for
everybod...


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