of god, and seeking truth by questioning the scholars of the village of Athens. In Socrates Crito, he explains that he cannot disobey his punishment or the morals of the state, although he has not disobeyed the state in his mind. (48-54) Socrates believes that one must follow the truth and divine commands, even at the peril of death. (Socrates, Apology, 28) "The City of Robots", by Umberto Eco reveals the hyper realities of Americas fantasy theme parks. Eco explains that Europeans have a different view of amusement. Whereas Americans flock to these "fake cities", Europeans travel to the real thing. The amount of "fake cities" (Eco, 442) available to America's public is horrendous. The united states goes as far as making model ships, when the real thing could be visited. The whole idea is to create a sense of "realism of the reconstruction" (Eco, 443). Eco states, " the consumer finds himself participating in fantasy because of his own authenticity as a consumer" (Eco, 443). Americans are like robots because they visit these "fake cities", knowing they are completely fake, and passively participate while standing in never-ending lines doling out large sums of money. Eco concludes by saying that "Disneyland is its [US] Sistine Chapel", meaning that Americans value something that is false so much that it is like a religious place of worship.Umberto Eco's viewpoint is also similar to that of Machiavelli. Throughout Eco's essay examples are given which relay comparison between Machiavelli, the visitors and the makers of these "false cities". One can also conclude that Machiavelli's morals are similar to the author, Umberto Eco. Machiavelli asks himself how do I give the people what they want? Machiavelli's main goal as a leader was to have the people love and respect him, but also fear him. (56) He knew exactly what to say and do to get the people on his side; it was a game to him. These ideals are very similar to the American...
