Idealism vs. Realism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Idealism vs. Realism - Essay Example The study proposes to employ an analytical descriptive approach to trace the elements of morality and immorality in the views of Niccolo Machiavelli and Martin Luther King with reference to the works mentioned. According to Machiavelli, institutional and dictatorial authorities are part of the ruling of a principality. A leader has to adopt pragmatic solutions to the disruptions among people. His statement that â€Å"all armed prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed prophets have been destroyed† (26) shed light on his belief that it is necessary to resort to force to gain and maintain power. The governance of the populace will thus fall in the hands of the powerful rulers who cater to the needs of the majority in most cases to please them. However, Machiavelli foresees instances where the majority too will have to be suppressed when they rise against the interests of the sovereignty: †¦let it here be noted that men are either to be kindly treated, or utterly crushed, since they can revenge lighter injuries, but not graver. Therefore the injury we do to a man should be of a sort to leave no fear of reprisals (9). The suggestions to use extreme measures to crush the popular movements against the regime and even to behead their leaders (33) to frighten and calm down the followers exhibits the cold, clinical approach Machiavelli adopts to analyze the governance of principalities. The lack of morality owes much to the realist stance he takes on the issues which call for mutual understanding. He is not worried by the idealistic aspects of morality and justice in the deeds of princes, since the ultimate aim of his narrative is to harden the conscience of them so as to procure and sustain power. The amoral, totalitarian views presented in The Prince have in fact attributed a diabolic identity to Machiavelli, underlying his lack of concern for morality. Martin Luther King shows his strong disappointment towards the