Machiavelli and Weber: Comparing Political Philosophies Essay

Philosophy is referred to as a set of beliefs, concepts and attitudes held by an individual or a group of people. It is the study of problems in general and the prescription of solutions to problems based on critical and systemic analyses and the employment of rational argument. Philosophy through the lens of Political Science does so as mentioned above in terms of the state, the governance of the state the ethics of an individual in possession of political power. Political philosophers focus on the issues relating to the state, such as political action that need or need not be taken and the general behavior of a given individual involved in politics. With the focus set on just the state, political action and violence, two philosophers have critically analyzed politics through the three concepts listed above: Niccolo Machiavelli and Max Weber. They each have their own views, opinions and suggestions that both have similarities and differences considering the cultural and temporal inc onsistency between the both of them. The fact that some of their ideas intersect is fascinating. Niccolo Machiavelli, known as the founding father of modern Political Science, lived between 1469 and 1752 in Florence in what is known today as Italy. He is not only known for his work in politics and diplomacy, as he was also a well-versed historian. He employed the method of citing historic figures and events in his justification for the suggestions he made in his famous book: The Prince. In the book that was dedicated to Lorenzo Medici, Machiavelli raises many important aspects relating to the political environment, governance and ethics of an individual in possession of political power citing political actions that should and should not be  taken, the state briefly and violence in governing which is studied by political philosophers today as there are many ancient concepts and practices mentioned in the text that can still be incorporated into modern political practices. Max Weber famously known as one of the three founders of modern Sociology, lived between 1864 and 1920 in Germany. Although he specialized in the field of Sociology, Weber did delve into the world of politics. His methods differ from that of Machiavelli as time progressed, so did society and the knowledge possessed by mankind. Instead of employing the method of historical analysis in his philosophy of politics, Weber utilizes Sociology in his analysis of the political realm. In his groundbreaking essay titled ‘Politics as a Vocation’, Weber explores the world of politics through political actions based on social implications; be it good or bad and weighing the benefits against cost. He goes on to mention the state and its rights of governance in which violence is also cited. This document is also of interest to those in the field of politics, as his definition of the state has become the general understanding of Western social thought. In this paper, I would argue that although their opinions on governance may be different on the outlook, they share a similarity, which can be detected through analyzing their philosophies carefully. This also means that they share differing views on the concepts of political action, the state and violence which will also be analyzed in this paper. NICCOLA MACHIAVELLI In his book, The Prince, Machiavelli focuses his attention on counseling and educating the prince, Lorenzo Medici in the treacherous world of politics. The book is considered in simple terms a manual to being the prince. As such, he elaborates on an array of ideas relating to politics. For the purpose of this paper, the content of his writing will be analyzed through the three concepts listed above. In terms of political action, Machiavelli writes about cruelty and violence and the proper use of the evil act of cruelty. He admits that cruelty can and should be used wisely once within a  rule as he explains in his words â€Å"_Injuries therefore, should be inflicted all at the same time, for the less they are tasted, the less they offend._† (Cahn, 2011, p. 260). He then goes on to say that after that one infliction of injury, the prince should gradually distribute benefits in small quantities successively (Cahn, 2011, p. 260). Machiavelli raises a good point in his explanatio n above as when people are constantly subject to miseries, injuries and misfortune, they will eventually grow weary of it and revolt, however if the need for the use of cruelty arises and is applied in the prince’s governance at one point of time, it is only felt once and can sometimes be forgiven through time. It is basic knowledge from daily observation that repetitive actions can be very irritating and that understanding can be applied in Machiavelli’s justification for the use of cruelty. As for the distribution of benefits after the fact of cruelty, it works well as Machiavelli states that the subjects can fully savor the goodness of the benefits if they are given in small quantities successively. After being treated with cruelty, the gradual distribution of benefits would show the subjects that it can only get better from there on and would appease the subjects. This concept can be seen today in many forms of government, where benefits such as tax returns or any form of government assistance is always given in small amounts and in monthly or yearly intervals. This is where Machiavelli relates political action to violence. The state can also be related to Machiavelli’s conception of political action. Through his writings, Machiavelli was seen as an individual who detested representative governments or republics and therefore refers to the state as the prince’s possession which meant that the prince was the state. As such, the prince or the state was free to act in a way that it sees fit for the greater good of the state itself. Machiavelli’s conception of the state suggests that he believes a different set of moral rules apply to the state and that it is unreasonable for the state to act just like a regular person would act. MAX WEBER In his essay titled ‘_Politics as a Vocation_’, Max Weber explores the world of politics through the lens of Sociology. As Weber delves into the lecture,  he begins by stating that politics exist exclusively in the realm of the State and between states. This leads Weber to defining state in his own words, â€Å"_Today, however, we have to say that a state is a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory_.† (Weber, 1919, p.1). Weber, Like Machiavelli, believed that the violence and cruelty could be incorporated into governance however with the explicit use of the term ‘legitimate’. The idea of legitimate violence is ambiguous in a sense of what is considered legitimate violence? The ambiguity of the term has created a ‘grey-zone’ for which the definition of legitimate violence can be debated. However, gathering from his ideas and considering his position in the timeline of political philosophers, Weber’s understanding of legitimate violence can be explained as violence that is state sanctioned to protect the majority of the people within a state. This means that the state can use violence to halt the advance of individuals who commit crimes that harm the state as a whole in which the greater good of the state is the reason for violence rather than personal gain. For example, in the recent 2010 Toronto G20 Summit riots, those who were involved in the rioting were subject to violence from the police (who are authorized by the state to act on its behalf) who arrested the rioters. The riot was a harmful act carried out by a group of citizens and by using violence, the police were able to curb the threat and return downtown Toronto to its regular daily life. Weber’s definition of the state and his use of the term ‘legitimate violence’ satisfactorily connects the three concepts listed above. ANALYSIS Comparing the ideas of Machiavelli and Weber, there are some notable similarities although the two philosophers lived in different points in history and also in different parts of Europe. There are also some clear differences in their view of politics which will be listed. Both Machiavelli and Weber condone to state sanctioned violence with the purpose of the greater good of the public, however their views on the degree of violence differ substantially. For Machiavelli, he believed that cruelty and violence should be used only once and it can vary in degrees depending on the  circumstances. This means that Machiavelli condones to excessive use of violence in one single use. As for Weber, his idea of the legitimate use of violence would imply that the violence used would be used in a way that it is not excessive and used only to temporarily disable rather than harm permanently. Their views on the state are also quite similar and different at the same time. Machiavelli refers to the state as the prince’s possession while Weber referred to the state as an entity that had the power to use legitimate violence. The similarity between the two ideas is the fact that they both agree the state has rights that regular citizens do not. The difference is that Machiavelli believed the prince was able to act freely (wisely) in any way he seen fit to achieve success. Weber on the other hand believed that violence should only be used against those who threaten the peace and security of the state rather than personal gain. Machiavelli’s philosophy can be seen as a more realistic view of human nature and his suggestions are more appealing as they are more practical to individual gain. He is one of the few philosophers that acknowledges and condones to evil as many philosophers tend to write only on how men should live rather than how men actually live. Weber also has a sense of practicality in his views but is more downplayed and fair as violence or evil in his opinion was to be used to maintain peace and order within the state. After the analysis of the two philosophers, it can be concluded that although their views may seem very different, they are in a way similar. Their views on violence are both the same to a point and also different when they delve further into explaining more into the concept. Their conception of the state are also similar to a point until it was elaborated upon which clear differences could be seen. They both agreed violence could be used in governance however the degree and actual purpose differed when analyzed. In terms of their conception of the state, they both agreed that the state has rights that normal citizens were not in possession of to carry out violence. However, Machiavelli’s definition of the state was the prince’s possession while Weber’s definition of the state is a government within a territory that is authorized to use legitimate physical violence. Weber’s definition of the state is more relevant to the modern understanding of the state as it is the basis of understanding the relationship between the state and its  people where the enforcement of law comes into play. Machiavelli’s viewpoint was more individualistic and focuses more on the politician itself than the state and the greater good for the public. As Thomas Hobbes said, there is a difference between the transferring of power to an entity rather than an individual. Of course, Machiavelli did write _The Prince_ well before Thomas Hobbes’ time. References Cahn, S. M. (2011). _Political Philosophy_. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Weber, M. (1919). _Politics as a Vocation_. Retrieved from http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/polisci/ethos/Weber-vocation.pdf.

Pinnacle Manufacturing Essay

1. External users’ reliance on financial statements External users rely heavily on the financial statement of Pinnacle Manufacturing. Although, Pinnacle manufacturing is a privately held company it incurs a large amount of debt. As a result potential users rely heavily on financial statements. Pinnacle is selling the machine tech division to focus on engine manufacturing, the company’s core operations. This causes buyers to also rely heavily on financial statements. In No. 6 the board chooses to finance the construction project mentioned in No. 4 by raising more debt. Again bringing focus to the Financial statements. Likelihood of financial difficulties The Solar Power engine business is focused on habitual transformation of technology, which makes the business riskier than other business and brings about a greater chance of bankruptcy. In No. 1, concerns are expressed about Pinnacle’s Solar-Electro Division. No. 9 identifies restrictive covenants. The requirements are to keep the current ratio above 2.0 and the debt-to-equity below 1.0. In Part I, the calculation of the current ratio fell below the requirement and thus the need for the loan. Management Integrity In No. 8 there is a significant turnover amongst higher-level positions. This turnover is possibly intentional and thus a greater chance for fraudulent activities. 2. No.1 – The acceptable audit risk is Medium. The auditor would have to prove that the articles are material. No. 6 – Pinnacle Manufacturing is a risky client and the auditors should check and verify each account. The acceptable audit risk is assessed as low. No. 8 – Management is  changing its internal audit team. New members would learn the company and the way the audits are done. The audit risk is low because auditors would not rely on management representation. No. 9 – Because the current ratio and debt-to-equity ratio are below the requirements management will constantly check to either increase or decrease current assets to meet criteria. Thus the audit risk is low.

A Concussion is No Laughing Matter

This is what I saw in manga, but the character got hard on my head, the stars suddenly floated in the air, and the manga looked very awkward. However, in just a few seconds, the cartoon restarts and resumes operation. In the latest legend of Tom and Jerry or Coyote and Roadrunner, this seems interesting, but in real life it is not that fascinating. Looking at the stars, fainting and feeling unconscious may be a brain injury called concussion. Concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a very serious problem that needs to be treated in this way. However, traditional doctors and medicines often treat post-concussion treatment as long-term treatment. You may ask if there is a general concussion or TBI In the absence of common symptoms, they believe that you healed, but symptoms of concussion have been affected for a long time. There are various ways to heal the brain after concussion, so you can return to sports events and restore quality living. We used the definition of concussion proposed by international consensus on sports concussion. Thus, athletes experiencing acceleration of brain trauma followed by concussion symptoms, concussion or cognitive decline of the brain are diagnosed as concussion. . Standardized entrance and follow-up visit forms are used in various places. The patient enters demographic information (date of birth, gender etc.) and clinical data (eg, injured day, injured movement, symptom score after concussion). A single definition of concussion, mild head trauma, or mild traumatic brain trauma is generally accepted. International Symposium on Sports Vibration 2001 In the first session of the sports group the vibration of the first session was defined as a complicated pathophysiological process affecting the brain caused by traumatic biomechanical force. It is generally accepted that concussion is usually accompanied by transient damage that temporally spontaneously heals over time, and neuroimaging usually has a severe structural change ca used by the condition of the brain It indicates that it is not.

The Initial Business in Black Jacks Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Initial Business in Black Jacks - Assignment Example If the initial business plan is successful then the club facility will be extended based upon its success rate.Black Jacks targeted audience will be the population in Savannah above 18 who have the relatively refined taste of music. The targeted customers are not in any way limited in terms of gender. The Club is expected to provide music records of all genres making it easier for the customers to find their chosen records at one place. The services to be provided by Blac Jacks will also include customized music recordings. Location may be one of the most important aspects of our proposed business. This will decide which market we are going to serve as well as the future prosperity chances depends upon this. So, we have got the opportunity to buy an appropriate place in 7939 Abercorn st. Savannah. This club will be basically located in a shopping plaza where the surrounding businesses will also be helpful to boost our business. So this location will allow us to gain customers more easily. There will be no parking issue because of large car parking of the shopping plaza and also the closing time of the shopping plaza is 10:30 pm which will also be beneficial for our club. As Savannah is the largest city in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population has grown by 16.6 percent in the last ten years. Now its total population is 425,528. It is considered as the largest trading area as well as it attracts millions of visitors that may be beneficial for my business. 1. College Students: We have created an environment that will appeal the high school college students and we are expecting an increase of 5 percent from this segment annually because of positive word of mouth. 2. Childless Young Professionals: Due to our presence in the premises of shopping center, we must appeal to single students and young adults. We are expecting an annual growth of 15 % from this part of the population with the growth rate of the city.

Improving Construction Safety in Saudi Arabia Dissertation - 1

Improving Construction Safety in Saudi Arabia - Dissertation Example However, based on a premise of sustained and continuous improvement, it is desirable to find ways and means for improving construction health and safety in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a nation that presents certain constraints. A laxity in implementation of commercial and contractual laws and a traditional approach to solving problems related to labour shortage by recruitment of fixed-term contract labour as cheaply as possible from underdeveloped nations rather than efforts aimed at creating a permanent pool of labour through permanent immigration characterise most GCC countries. This study concludes that it is possible to improve construction health and safety in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by effective enforcement of existing health and safety laws, enacting legislation for off-site health and safety for migrant workers, maintaining a fund for social security and improving regulation of commercial and contractual transactions. ... 3.1 Research Approach for the Dissertation Project 46 3.3 Design and Administration of the Survey 49 3.4 Sample Selection and Sample Size 52 3.5 Analysis of the Survey Data 53 4 Results 58 5 Analysis and Interpretation 78 6 Conclusions and Recommendations 86 Appendix A – Survey Questionnaire 88 Appendix B – Consent Form 105 Bibliography / References 107 List of Figures Figure 1: Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research 42 Figure 2: Suggested Research Process for Construction Management Research 43 Figure 3: The Research Process for Construction Research 45 (This page intentionally left blank) 1 Introduction It is rather unfortunate, but true, that the construction industry around the world had developed a reputation for being the industrial sector that presents higher statistics for industrial accidents, fatalities and deaths than any other (Coble, 2000, Pp. vii - viii). United States Department of Labour for the year 2006 indicated that construction fatalities represented about 21% of the total work force fatalities (Lambeck, 2009, Pp. 72 – 74). However, efforts directed towards continuous improvement in construction safety in many countries, including Japan, South Korea, China, etc. demonstrate that it is possible to reduce the incidence of occupational injury, serious accidents or deaths (Poon, 2008, Chapter 1). Statistics for construction industry accident frequency rates per million of men hour worked for Singapore suggest that with an accident frequency rate per million man hours of 3.5 for the construction sector in comparison to 1.9 for all other industries help to illustrate the notoriety of the construction sector (Poon, 2008, Chapter 1). However, results for Japan, Korea and Hong Kong demonstrate improvement with effort. Reports about the construction

Report for the head office of Electrocom Ltd(Case Study) Essay

Report for the head office of Electrocom Ltd(Case Study) - Essay Example The notion of learning is applied to the organization as a whole, not as a sum of the parts of individual learning of individual employees. Organizations like these encourage continuous learning and innovation and advocate an integrated knowledge management structure for the organization. Other features of such organizations include being proactive, flexible, innovative and able to tap into potential to gain competitive advantage. (Cors, 2003). Another important introduction is one that focuses on organizational learning. Organizational learning in an organization relies on three factors, the first one being routine, the second being dependency on the company’s history and the third one being the targets that the organization has set for itself. Organizations add to their knowledge bank through practice and over time, that is through practical experience. This experiences interpreted and the lessons learned are applied to future scenarios to ensure that mistakes are not repeat ed and good practices are adopted. Learning can also occur by looking at other organizations, competitors or those who are similar to the organization in question so that generalizations can be studied and applied to own organization. (Levitt and March, 1988). Electrocom needs to focus on knowledge acquisition; this will have two pronged benefits for the organization. First, it will provide them further consumer insight which will help them better understand, connect with and cater to their consumer base. Second, it will help them build a knowledge bank from which they can take assistance in the decisional process and which will enable further learning for the company’s employee base. Knowledge acquisition can be done through surveys, R&D activities, reviews of performance and a thorough analysis of competing firms in the market. Another aspect to be focused on is how this knowledge and information is disseminated throughout the organization. Organizational structure should b e flatter so information can flow quickly from source to destination without any hold ups or barriers to stop the flow. Electrocom also needs to focus on how the information is interpreted, for this will determine how the information impacts the organization, if at all. Lastly, through revision and incorporation of this knowledge over and over again in practice the organization needs to make sure that it remains fresh in the organization’s memory. (Huber, 1991). In the same vein, Schein (1993) writes about how it is important for organizations on the modern business environment which is becoming increasingly globalised and culturally diverse, to engage in dialogue. To effective in this business environment, it is necessary for Electrocom to increase and improve communication to enhance levels of integration within the organization and across borders and cultures. Organizational learning will only take place once there is an established healthy level of communication and integ ration internally and creating dialogue will be the first step in this direction. This approach will also improve cohesiveness of work groups, thereby improving their performance. Once a healthy level of communication has developed internally within the organization, subcultures will develop, often providing a motivational source for better performance at work because they promote

In todays economy are we heading towards a Great Depression Research Proposal

In todays economy are we heading towards a Great Depression - Research Proposal Example The American economy is brought to a halt. And with the presidential elections recently concluded, we wonder if the president-elect will be able to save, or at the very least revive, the country’s flat lining economy. What is apparent is that there is a need for a re-assessment of the policies governing these markets. Analysts agree that this brings change to the outlook of America as the top superpower, financially (Faroohar, par. 2). Everyone who used to look up to the financial bigwigs of the United States in awe are now re-thinking if they are in fact right with their views. They are now shifting their thoughts toward a more favorable view of the significance of the government in trade and business. They are already projecting that this in the future will be the definitive moment when global capitalism was uprooted from the U.S. (Zakaria, par. 5-7). Fareed Zakaria in his article at Newsweek points out that today is the ‘Age of Bloomberg’ and the end of the ‘Age of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher’. Perhaps the plummet of laissez-faire capitalism towards something everyone is yet to figure out is something we can all agree upon. If necessary measures are not implemented quickly then this is heading nowhere but another Great Depression. What makes the difference is the knowledge that is available today based on history. Time is of the essence and as anyone can predict, if this continues to drag on into years, then, an impact as great as seen in history books or maybe worse will occur. Ironically, from the independence of a free and unobstructed market, businesses today are looking to the government to facilitate for their breathing room. The $700 billion to be passed on to the taxpayers seems to be too much at hindsight. The implosion of some of the world’s biggest investment banks left everyone dumbfounded. The Great Depression has always been associated