Analyzing Early Political Theory: Augustine and Machiavelli's Concepts

This homework assignment delves into the early political theories of St. Augustine and Niccolo Machiavelli. The first part of the assignment examines Augustine's concept of justice, drawing from "The Political Writings of St Augustine," and his assertion that kingdoms without justice are merely "great robberies." It explores Augustine's views on the role of government, the importance of moral law, and the consequences of injustice, referencing his comparisons between governments and criminal gangs. The second part analyzes Machiavelli's idea of the "new prince" as presented in "The Prince and the Discourses," focusing on his advice for rulers, including the necessity of being feared rather than loved, the use of cruelty when necessary, and the importance of maintaining the state. The assignment also explores the relationship between the new prince and the people, highlighting Machiavelli's views on the prince's actions, the importance of virtue and fortune, and the impact of a ruler's conduct on the populace.

Running head: EARLY POLITICAL THEORY
Early Political Theory
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1EARLY POLITICAL THEORY
Answer 4)
According to St Augustine’s book, “The Political Writings of St Augustine”, the
aspect of justice being taken away from the state the kingdoms are reduced to the state of the
great robberies. The kingdom are ruled by the help of authority of the prince that is knit
collectively with the help of pact of confederacy. Augustus compared government with the
gangs of the thieves in various ways. Aristotle has talked about the fact that “the addition of
impunity” helps in separating the governments from the gangs. The governments are immune
to the punishments that accounts to be the vital difference in between the government and the
incidence of the robberies (Augustine, Saint and Dino, pp 28). Aristotle has talked about the
fact that in the event of band of the robbers taking possession of the cities and subduing the
people it assumes name of the kingdom. It can in other words be stated that government
indulges itself in the aspect of the “legalized plunder”. Augustine with the help of the famous
lines has tried to point out the fact that the governments that are unjust can prove to be
extremely dangerous for the common people.

2EARLY POLITICAL THEORY
Augustine has made use of the example of Alexander in order to talk about the fact
that the people in power have the habit of misusing the authority so that they can control the
subjects. Augustine is explaining reason of conquest of Rome of world. Augustine has stated
the fact that an individual can live on the basis of the moral law by serving the other people in
the society. It has helped Rome in rising from the position and it has helped the men in the
society in becoming happy. Injustice on the other hand makes the men size the power for the
selfish ends that perverts notion of the nations. It has ultimately paved the path for the
collapse of Rome. Augustine did not lay much trust in the element of the government. The
Christians own their loyalty to the heavenly city whereas the City of Man helps in the
promotion of peace. It enables flourishing of the City of God. According to Augustine, it is
the job of the government for maintaining peace but they should not instruct the citizens
regarding how to carry out the private affairs. Augustine believed in the fact that government
should keep peace instead of improving the moral character of the people.

3EARLY POLITICAL THEORY
St Augustine has tried to highlight the fact that justice is aim and the criterion in
relation to politics with the help of the following lines, “without justice, what are kingdoms
but great robberies”. This statement brings out the fact that in the event of absence of justice,
politics along with laws are promulgated by political process. The state of lawlessness in the
society can be said to be unjust in the society. It can be said that politics along with the law
are relative and they are unhinged from the moral law in the society. It can be stated that
tyranny exists in the event of the politics or the law being arbitrary. It is important that
politics along with the law within the framework of the society should be informed by the
aspect of the justice. Politics along with the law should have justice in behind them that can
help in the formation of a sound government. St Augustine has talked regarding the fact that
politics along with law making in the society should focus on the element of the justice.
Augustine has tried to convey the fact that justice should be outside politics and outside that
of the human law. Justice should hover above the aspect of the politics along with the law
that can help in the establishment of a just state.

4EARLY POLITICAL THEORY
The human beings in the society having the good will should remove any kind of
objective aims along with the criterion of the politics. The aspect of justice in the society
should be built on the basis of the natural moral law. According to St Augustine, justice can
be stated to be the difference in between the ideal political states and that of the non-ideal
political state. The earthly states cannot claim the aspect of the true justice but it can be said
to be some kind of relative justice with the help of which a state can act in a more just manner
as compared to the other states. Justice can play an important role in providing every man
with his due in the society. He has stated that commonwealth cannot exist in the event of the
absence of the justice. Augustine has said that, “For what are robberies themselves, but little
kingdoms” that brings out the idea that the kingdoms are like the confederacy of the robbers
who are instrumental in looting the cities along with the countryside. Augustine with the help
of this statement has tried to convey the fact that the monopolistic state governments are
integral for the aspect of peace in a state.

5EARLY POLITICAL THEORY
Augustine has tried to assert the point of view that the terrible elements in the society
can be restrained by the usage of the force. It is important to state that the absence of the open
warfare or that of the terror campaigns can help in accomplishing value in the society.
Augustine has compared the political rulers with the thieves and he thinks that the state can
prove to be poisonous for the human society. Augustine is of the opinion that the minimizing
of the aspect of coercive violence in the society is of great significance. Augustine has tried
to establish the fact that in the event of the rulers establishing the peace in the state,
motivations of rulers remains hidden and they are urged with the motivation of killing and
controlling the other people. Augustine has talked about the urge of domination and how the
impulses are worsened by power that is gained with the help of the political domination.

6EARLY POLITICAL THEORY
Answer 5)
Machiavelli has stated the view that the good law should follow from that of the good
military. Machiavelli’s idea of the new prince is that he avoids hatred of the people. A new
prince should be feared instead of being loved in the society. The downfall of a prince takes
place in the event of event of being hated. Machiavelli advocates use of the cruelty in the
event of it not compromising with that of the long-term good will of people. The good will of
the people can help in safeguarding the state against the domestic insurrection along with the
foreign aggression (Savinger, pp 40). Machiavelli thinks that the new prince can help in
bringing unity and the stability to the conflicting states of that of Italian peninsula.
Machiavelli states that the new prince wants to maintain a new principality that proves to be
more difficult than the maintaining of a hereditary state. The people in the society would take
up the arms in the event of a prince being unestablished. Machiavelli thinks that the new
prince can help in the introduction of a new order. Machiavelli thinks that the new prince
should try to develop a friendly form of the government that provides the citizens with the
right of saying.

7EARLY POLITICAL THEORY
Machiavelli states that the ideal government is a republic that allows the groups
having the various kind of opinions in speaking in the open manner. Machiavelli thinks that
the new prince should be cruel instead of being merciful that can help in serving the state.
The new prince on the basis of Machiavelli undertakes the great projects so that they can
enhance the reputation. The new prince takes up the residence in that of the new state so that
he can know about the problems of the people. It can help the new prince in preventing local
officials from plundering the territory. The new prince stays close to the subjects so that he
can know about the problems of the people. The new prince in the words of Machiavelli
knows how to deal with the linguistic along with the cultural differences that can help in the
establishment of colonies within new state. The new prince should involve himself in injuring
the people in the event of knowing that there does not exist any threat of the revenge. A new
prince occupies state within the foreign country that can help him in dominating
neighbouring states.

8EARLY POLITICAL THEORY
The new prince tries to master the whole country so that he can control state that has
been conquered by them. The new prince tries to solve the problems before the problems
manifest themselves completely. The new prince can solve the political disorders in the event
of acting in the early stage. The new prince understands the art of the statecraft along with the
war craft that can help him in maintaining the dominance over the regions. The new prince
can suppress the disorder that can help him in avoiding the aspect of the war. There exists an
intrinsic relationship in between the new prince and the people. The new prince is deprived of
the aspect of the security that causes him great amount of difficulty. It can be said that there
lies a deep relationship in between new prince and that of people on account of the fact that
the people in the state also face the issue of the security like that of the prince. The princes
who are self-reliant enjoys a great amount of success like the people. Machiavelli has stated
that there is possibility of new kind of the virtue that an individual can get by seizing the
opportunities from the fortune.

9EARLY POLITICAL THEORY
Virtue of the courage can help in striking the proper balance in the matters of the fear.
A prince who is prudent has to involve himself in studying so that he can be successful in his
ruling. In the similar manner, the common people indulges himself in the act of the studying
so that he can prosper within the societal structure. A prince has to choose what is important
so that he can stave off malign effects in relation to the fortune. In the similar manner, the
common people in the society has to make the rational choices so that he can make profits in
the society. According to Machiavelli, the people in the state should obey in a pure manner to
that of superior power of state. The ruler who can vary the conduct from the good to the evil
can play an important role in changing the circumstances of the people. It can be said that
there exists relationship in between prince and the people as the people in the society being
able to act on the basis of the situations can prosper in the society.

10EARLY POLITICAL THEORY
The new prince avoids stirring up the extreme emotions in the people like the hatred
or the contempt among the people that is ruled by him. There are many private citizens who
by dint of their good fortune evolve to become the princes. The new prince acts as the master
of his own actions and he knows how to control the masses in an effective manner. They can
rise up in the professional position but they face difficulty in retaining the position at the top.
The common people in the city also have to face the similar kind of fate and fortune can only
help them in rising to a particular position in life. The position of prince is one of great
esteem as he carries on the great enterprises that helps him in setting an example in front of
the people. The common people in the present age in the event of doing good deeds can gain
a prominent position in the society like the prince. The prince can rise to the power with the
help of their skills along with the resources. In the similar manner, the people can also rise up
in the hierarchical position in the society by utilisation of their skills.

11EARLY POLITICAL THEORY
References
Augustine, Saint, and Dino Bigongiari. The political writings of St. Augustine. Gateway
Editions, 1996.
Savinger, Peter. "Niccolo Machiavelli: the Prince and the Discourses." A Guide to the
Political Classics: Plato to Rousseau (1988).