Times of prolonged conflict spur great minds to seek a lasting peace. Thus was the case of Warring States China, which saw the rise of the Hundred Schools of Thought, including the Doadejing and the Han Feizi, and Renaissance Italy, which produced Niccolò Machiavelli. Witnessing their respective societies fall prey to internal corruption and external aggression, all three thinkers sought ways to produce a strong, stable state that would allow both the leader and the populace to endure. Fortune and the (...) Dao: A Comparative Study of Machiavelli, the Daodejing, and the Han Feizi demonstrates where the shortcomings of each theory lie, with emphasis on the similarities among Machiavelli, Laozi, and Han Feizi. Jason P. Blahuta ultimately argues that if Machiavelli’s philosophy, the most comprehensive of the three theories, were supplemented by aspects of the Daodejing, the revision would potentially overcome the deficiencies of the original. (shrink)

Provocative, brutally honest, and timeless, Machiavelli’s _The Prince_ is one of the most important yet misunderstood writings in history. In it, Machiavelli lays bare the reality behind politics as it has always been practiced, teaching leaders to avoid the errors and failings of others while also educating those outside of government about what goes on inside the halls of power. This edition offers a new and lively translation of _The Prince_, written in fluid modern English that is impressively accurate to (...) the original source. It also includes extensive selections from the _Discourses on Livy_, together with a range of Machiavelli’s other works such as his poetry, his personal correspondence, and the _Florentine Histories_. The supplemental readings, engaging original introduction, and thorough annotations provided in this edition show the relevance of _The Prince_ to a wide range of themes: human nature, the philosophy of history, and the existential question all rulers face—how to survive in a world that is largely outside of one’s control. (shrink)

This chapter contains section titled: “We're in the Middle of a War, and You're Taking Orders from a Schoolteacher?” “While the Chain of Command is Strict, It is Not Heartless. And Neither Am I” Helo's Halo: Can Genocide Ever be Justified? “It's Not Enough to Survive. One Has to be Worthy of Surviving” Notes.