Analysis Of Saint Thomas Aquinas And Niccolò Machiavelli

In addition to the centuries that separated Saint Thomas Aquinas and Niccolà ² Machiavelli, their contrasting beliefs also separate them and place them on opposing ends on various debates. One of such debates includes the question of the ideal regime and considers who would be best to create and rule a regime. Maintaining the argument that previous philosophers have presented in their own works, Saint Thomas Aquinas describes how the best type of regime would be a monarchy. Within this type of regime, he argues, the monarch rules over and unites the citizens as part of the common good since â€Å"wherever things are organised into a unity, something is found that rules all the rest† (7). Conversely, Niccolà ² Machiavelli argues that the best type†¦show more content†¦Since people can only unite to a specific point, Aquinas argues that the best ruler is the monarch, who works to ensure that their rule works for the benefit of all. In addition, Aquinas also argues th at the monarch would be less likely to become a tyrant than a ruling party since the monarch will â€Å"more often attend to the common good† (17) than compared to one of the members of the ruling group since â€Å"it often happens that one man rises superior to the others and usurps to himself sole dominion over the community† (17), or that the ruling group could turn into a mob that only looks out for their interests, much to the dismay of those under them. As a result, Aquinas claims, â€Å"it is more advantageous to live under one king than under the rule of several persons† (17) since â€Å"provinces and cities governed by a single king rejoice in peace, flourish in justice and are gladdened by an abundance of things’ (11), since they follow what Aquinas considers the ideal, set up originally through how God is the sole ruler of the universe. Conversely, Machiavelli believes otherwise, claiming that â€Å"when the great see they cannot resist the people, they begin to give reputation to one of themselves, and they make him prince so that they can vent their appetite under their shadow† (39). To Machiavelli, a monarch would simply lead to the oppression of the people since â€Å"he can neither command them nor manage them to suit himself†