The Role of Religion in Confucian Works and Machiavelli's "The Prince"
after reading the assigned sections of The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli and the assigned Confucian works, respond to the following question, using specific examples and direct quotation from the reading to support your answer.
The Role of Religion: What is the role of religion in these two texts? It is more similar or more different, and why?
Be sure to use the source as the one that I upload which is the APUS Ebook version.
E-mail from instructor:
Week 7 Group, Ruling the Self, Ruling the Kingdom''
See http://www(dot)constitution(dot)org/mac/prince00.htm
And http://plato(dot)stanford(dot)edu/entries/confucius/ also http://eawc(dot)evansville(dot)edu/anthology/analects.htm
A comparison between Machiavelli and Confucius might be one way to go…
How did these two leaders conduct their lives, and how did this carry over into their works?
Any links with Homer…?
The doctrine of the mean may be taken to represent moderation, rectitude, objectivity, sincerity, honesty and propriety.
The work is divided into three parts. They are:
The Axis - Confucian Metaphysics (chaps 1-17)
The Process - Politics (chaps 18-24)
The Perfect Word/Sincerity - Ethics (chaps 25-33)
FROM http://aeviapress(dot)org/cms/mod/url/view.php?id=165
email sent down from instructor just incase.
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The Role of Religion
Both Confucian works and The Prince have different accounts on the role of religion, with Niccolo Machiavelli mostly focusing on the political philosophy. The Confucian works were written after the death of Confucius, and they have inspired Chinese culture as they offer guidance on how one ought to live. Followers of Confucius lay emphasis on the need to show sincere intentions in order establish order in the state and family life. Confucianism also highlights on the need to project the authentic self as this facilitates development of nature through creating harmony with heaven and the earth. Conversely, Niccolo Machiavelli pointed out that through increasing power within the Church, the leadership structure was able to rule over people, while also encouraging factionalism to wield more power,. However, Machiavelli also points out that it is necessary to use virtuous rule in order to maintain power.
The differences between the two texts are evident as Confucian works first delve into the need to find harmony with nature. At the center of this concept is the need to find ‘Dao’ which relates to lead nature. Essentially, one should be careful and cautions of what they cannot see or hear. In The Prince, religion does not a prominent role, and Machiavelli mentions that the role of money also strengthens the Church as the Popes could exercise political power, “Alexander the Sixth arose afterwards, who of all the pontiffs that have ever been showed how a pope with both money and arms was able to prevail,” (Machiavelli 831). To Machiavelli, the role of religion was relevant to the extent that the religious players wielded and exercised power through the Catholic Church during the time.
Another different perspective in the two texts, is that Confucius mention role of ritua...