Would today’s society be different?

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorCollege, Undergraduate February 2008

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Would today?s society be different? Throughout history, the government has shown sides of itself that can only give a person a vague idea of how the world has been and how it should have been. According to, Of Cruelty and Clemency, and whether it is better to be loved or feared, by Niccolo Machiavelli, this author argues whether a ruler should show mercy or demand cruelty towards his people. In the essay, The Ethics of Living Jim Crow, written by Richard Wright, the author provides a short story that exemplifies what a person of minority was subject to contend with because of discrimination. Today, would society and the government be any different if world leaders were simultaneously feared and loved by their people and discrimination against diverse ethnicities was nonexistent? According to Niccolo Machiavelli and his portrayal of world leadership, he argues the advantages and disadvantages of being feared as a leader.

A leader who demands cruelty upon his people may be considered a man of power. With cruelty comes control of one?s state and will sometimes excuse the cause for certain actions that may seem harsh or tragic. A leader that shows strength under his authority is one who will gradually gain the cooperation and attention of the public, because he will prove to the inhabitants of his country that he will prohibit any menace to overpower society. Choosing this way of judgment will have him considered as a stern, strong, and forceful leader.

However, a leader who refuses to show any mercy towards his people can also fail to obtain the respect and loyalty of his country, instead, take delivery of everything opposite of that. Some may commend him of his methodical actions; yet blame the principal cause of them. A leader who chooses cruelty over...