1.Machiavelli says: A man who is made a prince by the favour of the people must work to retain their friendship; and this is easy for him because the people ask only not to be oppressed.
2.So,according to Machiavelli, a prince, in order to stay in power, must know how to take good care of the people, particularly, the people who have constantly given their support to the prince.
3.In order to satisfy his people, a prince must first understand the needs of his people. Aristotle is of the view that the end of life is happiness; all our activities are directed at happiness. As good living is a source of happiness, a prince must bring good living to his people. Having good children are also important to the people; therefore the prince must not neglect the welfare of the children of the people.
4.The people would not be asking for things that their prince could not give to them. They would listen to their prince because they know that whatever is being done by their prince is done for the good of the people.
5.Only a virtuous prince could live happily with his people.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
MACHIAVELLI--PHILOSOPHY OF FEAR
1. Machiavelli says: From this arises the following question: whether it is better to be loved than feared, or the reversed. The answer is that one would like to be both the one and the other; but because it is difficult to combine them, it is far better to be feared than loved if you cannot be both.
2. Fear, then, according to Machiavelli, is an instrument of control that may be used by a king to rule his people. A king may use fear either on the majority, or the minority. If he uses fear on the majority, there is a danger that the majority may get together and caused him to be replaced. Therefore the king should not use fear on the majority. Since the minority would not have the might to challenge the king, the minority, then, may be controlled by using fear.
3. Generosity, being a kind of care, and care being the contrary of fear, could be used to win the support of the majority. But again, a king cannot be over generous, as this would soon squander all his resources. A king must reserve his resources for feeding his soldiers.
4. Soldiers are required to safeguard the position of a king. A king's position is constantly facing threats both from internal and external forces. His enemy may want to conquer his kingdom; and his unsatisfied people may want to have a new king.
5. Ants need sugar. Traditionally, soldiers are being kept by feeding them; sometimes also their families. In order to do this a king must have enough money; without money he will lose his soldiers; and consequently his position and his kingdom.
6. The rich would want to avoid chaos, because chaos would bring harm to their wealth; and on the contrary the poor would be indifferent, because they have no wealth that could be harmed. So a king must gradually bring wealth to his people because it it to his benefit to have people who are peaceful and orderly.
7. Therefore a king must know how to rule his people with care if he wants to be loved by his people.
2. Fear, then, according to Machiavelli, is an instrument of control that may be used by a king to rule his people. A king may use fear either on the majority, or the minority. If he uses fear on the majority, there is a danger that the majority may get together and caused him to be replaced. Therefore the king should not use fear on the majority. Since the minority would not have the might to challenge the king, the minority, then, may be controlled by using fear.
3. Generosity, being a kind of care, and care being the contrary of fear, could be used to win the support of the majority. But again, a king cannot be over generous, as this would soon squander all his resources. A king must reserve his resources for feeding his soldiers.
4. Soldiers are required to safeguard the position of a king. A king's position is constantly facing threats both from internal and external forces. His enemy may want to conquer his kingdom; and his unsatisfied people may want to have a new king.
5. Ants need sugar. Traditionally, soldiers are being kept by feeding them; sometimes also their families. In order to do this a king must have enough money; without money he will lose his soldiers; and consequently his position and his kingdom.
6. The rich would want to avoid chaos, because chaos would bring harm to their wealth; and on the contrary the poor would be indifferent, because they have no wealth that could be harmed. So a king must gradually bring wealth to his people because it it to his benefit to have people who are peaceful and orderly.
7. Therefore a king must know how to rule his people with care if he wants to be loved by his people.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
WISDOM
1. Plato believes that his Republic should be ruled only by Philosopher Ruler. To Plato philosophers are wise men because they are all lovers of knowledge. They seek knowledge for its own sake; and for the sake of nothing else.
2. Plato also believes that we always aim at the Good in all our actions; and all our actions are merely means to this end. Happiness is the Good. We work because we need money; we need money because we need food; we need food in order to remove the pain of hunger; we want to remove pain of hunger because we want happiness.
3. According to Plato only the wise can see reality; whereas the ignorant can only see appearances. Going by this premises it is logical therefore to have wise men as your leaders. Wise man makes judgment based on reality and judgment that is based on the truth would necessarily lead to the Good. On the contrary a judgment that is based on appearances would lead to the Bad. The Bad is the contradictory of the Good.
4. The Sophists claim that everything changes endlessly; therefore nothing is permanent; and consequently knowledge is impossible. Plato countered this by introducing the Platonic Forms. An example from Geometry would help to explain what Platonic Form is. When we see many square things, we form in our mind the idea of a square. To Plato this square really exists in Heaven; which is the Platonic Form, something eternal and unchangeable.
5. Plato therefore would only accept wise men as leaders.
2. Plato also believes that we always aim at the Good in all our actions; and all our actions are merely means to this end. Happiness is the Good. We work because we need money; we need money because we need food; we need food in order to remove the pain of hunger; we want to remove pain of hunger because we want happiness.
3. According to Plato only the wise can see reality; whereas the ignorant can only see appearances. Going by this premises it is logical therefore to have wise men as your leaders. Wise man makes judgment based on reality and judgment that is based on the truth would necessarily lead to the Good. On the contrary a judgment that is based on appearances would lead to the Bad. The Bad is the contradictory of the Good.
4. The Sophists claim that everything changes endlessly; therefore nothing is permanent; and consequently knowledge is impossible. Plato countered this by introducing the Platonic Forms. An example from Geometry would help to explain what Platonic Form is. When we see many square things, we form in our mind the idea of a square. To Plato this square really exists in Heaven; which is the Platonic Form, something eternal and unchangeable.
5. Plato therefore would only accept wise men as leaders.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
CAPABILITY AND TRUSTWORTHINESS:THE CRITERION
1.John Locke says: There is therefore,secondly,another way whereby Governments are dissolved,and that is;when the Legislative,or the Prince,either of them act contrary to their Trust.
2.Going by what is asserted by Locke;Governments are merely trustees;and the people are the beneficiary for whose good the trustees must act.
3.We would appoint capable and trustworthy man to be our trustee so that our interests are protected at all times. The incapable would be unable to produce the desired effect;while the untrustworthy would not act for the good of the beneficiary.
4.Just as when we are searching for a Trust Fund to grow our money,we would look for a capable and trustworthy Trust Fund Manager so that we could achieve our aim of having more money.
5.The criterion,therefore,that is being adopted by the people in appointing their Government is capability and trustworthiness. A political party which fails to understand this is unlikely to succeed.
2.Going by what is asserted by Locke;Governments are merely trustees;and the people are the beneficiary for whose good the trustees must act.
3.We would appoint capable and trustworthy man to be our trustee so that our interests are protected at all times. The incapable would be unable to produce the desired effect;while the untrustworthy would not act for the good of the beneficiary.
4.Just as when we are searching for a Trust Fund to grow our money,we would look for a capable and trustworthy Trust Fund Manager so that we could achieve our aim of having more money.
5.The criterion,therefore,that is being adopted by the people in appointing their Government is capability and trustworthiness. A political party which fails to understand this is unlikely to succeed.
Friday, February 5, 2010
WESTERN PHILOSOPHY-A FEW REMARKS
1.Western philosophy was made famous by great philosophers like Pythagoras,Socrates,Plato and Aristotle;just to mention a few names that may be familiar to us. The common characteristic of their method of thinking was to make inquiry and to conduct investigation on subjects that they love to know. They were searching for knowledge for its own sake; and for the sake of nothing else. Thereby they were caught in an endless search,because they were searching for something unknown to them. Also,to know is a human instinct;and instinct is not something that can be satisfied.
2.Early challenges to these philosophers came from the Sophists. Protagoras and Gorgias were among the great names at that time. The Sophists claim that all that we human can know are things reported by our senses;nothing beyond this. Even so,we have no ability to tell whether those things reported by our senses are true or false. Gradually thinkers following this line of thinking are being labelled as the Sceptics. Some of them have even taken the extreme position by saying that knowledge is impossible;but obviously this is self-defeating.
3.Next came Descartes. Descartes challenges the Sceptics by introducing: I think, therefore I am. From here Descartes took philosophy back again to endless search. And Bertrand Russell considers Descartes to be the father of modern philosophy.
4.But this endless search is far from being useless. It may well be the cause for the West to emerge as the leader of this World.
2.Early challenges to these philosophers came from the Sophists. Protagoras and Gorgias were among the great names at that time. The Sophists claim that all that we human can know are things reported by our senses;nothing beyond this. Even so,we have no ability to tell whether those things reported by our senses are true or false. Gradually thinkers following this line of thinking are being labelled as the Sceptics. Some of them have even taken the extreme position by saying that knowledge is impossible;but obviously this is self-defeating.
3.Next came Descartes. Descartes challenges the Sceptics by introducing: I think, therefore I am. From here Descartes took philosophy back again to endless search. And Bertrand Russell considers Descartes to be the father of modern philosophy.
4.But this endless search is far from being useless. It may well be the cause for the West to emerge as the leader of this World.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
M.C.A.CENTRAL COMMITTEE
1. The MCA Central Committee is the highest governing body of a political party called MCA.
2. The members of MCA Central Committee are being elected by the MCA members through the Central Delegates once in every three years. The last election was in 2008 and the next election is due in 2011.
3. However, in the event that two-third or more of the elected members of the Central Committee shall at any time cease to be members of the Central Committee, there shall be an election of the Central committee in accordance with Article 41 of the MCA Constitution.
4.21 members are the aforesaid two-third.
5. It is reported that 13 members have now submitted their letters of resignation.
6. But the requirement of Article 41 has not been fulfilled as yet.
7. Another 8 members are required.
8. The act of resignation is not entirely at the absolute discretion of the said members. From the point of view of trust, the members of the Central Committee are trustees of the MCA members. As trustees they ought to act in the best interest of the beneficiaries.
2. The members of MCA Central Committee are being elected by the MCA members through the Central Delegates once in every three years. The last election was in 2008 and the next election is due in 2011.
3. However, in the event that two-third or more of the elected members of the Central Committee shall at any time cease to be members of the Central Committee, there shall be an election of the Central committee in accordance with Article 41 of the MCA Constitution.
4.21 members are the aforesaid two-third.
5. It is reported that 13 members have now submitted their letters of resignation.
6. But the requirement of Article 41 has not been fulfilled as yet.
7. Another 8 members are required.
8. The act of resignation is not entirely at the absolute discretion of the said members. From the point of view of trust, the members of the Central Committee are trustees of the MCA members. As trustees they ought to act in the best interest of the beneficiaries.
Monday, February 1, 2010
1 MALAYSIA
1.1 Malaysia has been launched not long ago by our Prime Minister.
2.One is Unity.Many is Plurality.Clearly therefore our Prime Minister is calling for the unity of the people.
3.The benefit of living in unity is self-evident.The ants and the bees seem to understand this clearly.If we are in fact rational animal,we should be the expert in this art of living together in absolute harmony.
4.By definition,leaders lead and followers follow.
5.In ancient China all wars were started by the warlords and the people were the helpless victims.I believe that our leaders are unlike the ancient warlords;1 Malaysia is the proof.
2.One is Unity.Many is Plurality.Clearly therefore our Prime Minister is calling for the unity of the people.
3.The benefit of living in unity is self-evident.The ants and the bees seem to understand this clearly.If we are in fact rational animal,we should be the expert in this art of living together in absolute harmony.
4.By definition,leaders lead and followers follow.
5.In ancient China all wars were started by the warlords and the people were the helpless victims.I believe that our leaders are unlike the ancient warlords;1 Malaysia is the proof.
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