“What is important about any philosophy is not what is explains, but what it assumes” Essay

Submitted By timo31
Words: 1036
Pages: 5
Open Document
FOUNDATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT THOUGHT

TOPIC

“What is important about any philosophy is not what is explains, but what it assumes”. Discuss this question critically and provide examples of assumptions which underpin Machiavellian & Platonic philosophies.

In this paper I will discuss the assumptions which underpin Machiavellian & Platonic philosophies in reference to The Republic and The Prince. My position is that both Machiavallian and Plantonic philosophies make assumptions in exemplifying their notions. Machiavelli’s is intentional while Plato’s is unintentional. Also both philosophies through their assumptions sometimes contradict each other. Well expressed

In discussing his notion above it is important to understand the basic theory and ideas of Machiavelli and Plato. Both Machiavelli and Plato produce arguments for order in the state but they have different notions of how to go about order. Plato obsesses with certainty and has an ideal form of order, while order with Machiavelli is learning to live with uncertainty. Machiavelli believes we need to be able to work with insecurity and not try and produce certainty. He believes we embrace uncertainty by developing our own armour. Knowledge is the basis of leadership for Plato while Power is the basis of leadership for Machievelli.

In the Republic the Allegory of the Cave represents Plato's views on philosophy. Basically, we are all in the cave and Philosophy is what brings us out of the cave. Plato believes that Philosophy is the highest form of inquiry, just because it alone involves no presuppositions. I do not believe this to be true because The Allegory presents, in brief form most of Plato's major philosophical assumptions. Meaning of statement is not clear Examples of these assumptions are his belief that the world revealed by our senses is not the real world but only a poor copy of it, and that the real world can only be apprehended intellectually. He does provide argument for it eg cganging nature of things as appearances Another assumption is that knowledge cannot be transferred from teacher to student, but rather that education consists in directing student's minds toward what is real and important and allowing them to apprehend it for themselves. As a result, this assumption discounts experience and dismisses the knowledge acquired in formal settings. You need to consider Plato’s arguments As an engineer I tend not to agree with this notion as it undermines science or mathematics. In my opinion scientific accomplishments cannot be achieved via Plato’s perceived ideas or assumptions on knowledge. Most engineers or scientist view mathematical proof as the certificate guaranteeing trustworthiness of, and formulating the nature of, the building-blocks of the systems that comprise our constructions. Without this proof there are no building-blocks, no systems. My feeling, when I read Plato’s account of knowledge is that unless such issues regarding the nature of proof are addressed and conscientiously examined, I am getting a superficial account of the philosophical position. I also argue that experience should not be overlooked as it enhances knowledge and belief.
Unlike Machiavelli, Plato also assumes that the universe ultimately is good and he is convinced of the ultimately harmonious structure of the universe.

When looking at Machiavellian Philosophy we find that the major assumptions that underpin the philosophy can be derived from Machiavelli book the Prince. Not necessariy the case …. In fact he changed his thinking after the PrinceThe Prince was ground-breaking because Machiavelli described the world as he saw it. In the prince we find that it logically considers or postulates Metaphysical, anthropological and epistemological assumptions. I think the main assumption that forms the basis for Machiavellian philosophy is the Anthropological (human nature) assumption. This is one area where that differentiates Machiavelli’s
Show More

Related Documents: “What is important about any philosophy is not what is explains, but what it assumes” Essay

Essay on Can Substance Dualism Be Defended

Can Substance Dualism Be Defended? Substance dualism is a never ending argument in the Philosophy world as it’s been going on for decades. It is the view that the universe contains two important types of entity which is mental and material. The structure of this paper is that four main argument leads to one conclusion. Firstly, I’ll argue about Descartes’s ‘separability argument’ which stands as the definition of Substance Dualism. Secondly, I’ll argue that mental and physical have different…

Words 1917 - Pages 8

Psy 308 Lab Assignment Essay

double-spaced. 1. What does social psychology have in common with folk wisdom and philosophy? How does…

Words 1429 - Pages 6

Steinberger's Argument That The Maxims Of Breaking Promises

This reading, according to Steinberger, is unpersuasive in a couple of ways. Firstly, Steinberger realizes that the moral law is not guided by the mere logical consistence. Steinberger reviews Harrison’s argument that the maxim of breaking promises , if universalized, undermine the systematic harmony of purposes. Since such result is based on experience of breaking promises. Kemp argues that Kant indicates self-contradiction in the CI is essentially logical. Steinberger takes Harrison’s point is…

Words 7178 - Pages 29

Philosophy Essay 3

Adrien Tang 30829139 PHIL 102 – 004 What is philosophy? Philosophical views and their criticism A philosophy is a comprehensive system of ideas about human nature and the nature of the reality we live in. The definition of philosophy varies with different idealists. Socrates identifies philosophy as the will to not just live life, but to constantly question and evaluate it. He believes people should stop living instinctively, like birds that fly south for the winter. Rather, everyone should stop…

Words 2417 - Pages 10

Servant Leadership Essay

Assignment: Module 6 Servant Leadership Ed Moore XXX XXX XXX Any University: MGT 420 October 19th, 2014 Introduction At first glance, many, if not most people today, might truly believe or assume that the Servant Leadership model or style is simply not compatible with any others cultures, religions or theories of philosophy. This paper addresses these beliefs and assumptions and, champions the notion that they not only can be compatible but, that Servant Leadership is becoming more and more…

Words 1042 - Pages 5

Annotated bibliography Essay

they worry about the whole outlook of the team rather than individuals. This doesn’t mean that a coach does not care about his individual players, there are certain moments that everyone gets individual treatment, whether it’s a high five after scoring a touchdown or being yelled at on the practice field for making a mistake. A coach’s main goal is to make his or her team the best that they can be. Some coach’s may be nicer than others, its all about that individuals coaching philosophy. Every coaches…

Words 1982 - Pages 8

Essay On Quantum Mechanics

a particle at a given time, one can calculate the future and past positions and velocities of that particle at any given time. The consequence of quantum mechanics is that one cannot measure with arbitrary precision the position and the velocity of a particle. This is due to Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. Around 1925 there were two mathematical theories that attempted to explain electron orbits. Heisenberg interprets the electron as a particle. Schrodinger interprets the electron as a wave…

Words 944 - Pages 4

Philosophy of Composition Essays

Professor Wikoff AM LIT-2010 June 9, 2014 THE PHILOSOPHY OF COMPOSITION by Edgar Allan Poe This is an interesting essay by Edgar Allan Poe that I had never heard of nor obviously read. I thoroughly enjoyed this piece by Poe. Poe was an advocate of rational composition rather than romantic effusions, meaning that Poe believed in writing in a rational, logical way as opposed to an unrestrained, heartfelt or emotional way. In his “Philosophy of Composition” he goes into a sequential, step…

Words 2978 - Pages 12

History Of Greek Civilization

Portfolio Book: A History of Western Philosophy (Book one: Ancient Philosophy) Part I. The Pre-Socratics Chapter I. The Rise of Greek Civilization IN all history, nothing is so surprising or so difficult to account for as the sudden rise of civilization in Greece. …What they achieved in art and literature is familiar to everybody, but what they did in the purely intellectual realm is even more exceptional. They invented mathematics and science and philosophy; they first wrote history as opposed…

Words 4314 - Pages 18

Notes On Business Ethics

study of the right (good) using reason, analysis, synthesis, and reflection A) Ethics ≠ morality (just requires that you know someone else’s opinion) Can explain using reason B) Universal Rule guiding behavior Applied to every decision II. Steps in process A. Identify proposed action (what is right/wrong?) B. Identify important dimension of the decision (varies by rules) C. Decide if the action is ethical 1. Ethical tests approach ->public disclosure test (front pg of paper…

Words 4576 - Pages 19