Lao Tzu, was a Chinese philosopher who is said to be the author of the “Tao- Te Ching” written as a guide for rulers. Niccolo Machiavelli, was an Italian Renaissance writer, and philosopher who lived 2,000 years after Tzu wrote, “The Qualities of the Prince” as a guide for maintaining respect from the governed as well as redemption in the eyes of ruler of Florence, Lorenzo di Piero de’ Medici. Leadership qualities keep a society in order. Without a leader a society might collapse, therefore people have endeavored to be admired or feared leaders, but never both. These two authors and philosophers have significantly different ideas of how to be a leader and how that leader should treat his or her people. The Tao refers to; the natural order and progression of the universe backing up Tzu’s idea that a government should not intervene and…show more content… Tzu states, “ . . . best is a leader who is loved. Next, one who is feared. The worst is one who is despised” (207). Love is better than fear, and love and fear are better than despise. Machiavelli states, “ it is much safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking” (227). Although he preferred to be feared than loved he established that either or is better than being despised. That is where they reach common ground no leader should be despised because if the prince or master is despised the people will rebel and do anything to get rid of him. Another similarity is these two philosophers wanted what was best for the people. They both wrote to people in general about the best ways to live their lives and to leaders about the qualities they should possess. Lao Tzu’s Master and Machiavelli’s Prince do not have much in common except for the fact that they are both rulers in charge of a country, and have to do what they can to run it as smoothly as
