problem with staying in Machiavelli’s cave is that one would never know the truth about anything: the prince would certainly never offer it. Ultimately, the work can be interpreted to serve the self-interest of only one person; the prince, if we accept that Machiavelli truly did write it to help Lorenzo gain power. The main concern of the prince is not the welfare, the happiness or the safety of the people, but political power and glory for himself. If we accept the other interpretation, that Machiavelli was attempting to get Lorenzo killed, it is still obvious that this guide has selfish goals in that it will only serve the interest of one person. The Republic, on the other hand is a society in which the common interest of the community as a whole is the first and foremost obligation of the philosopher/ruler. The goal of the philosopher/ruler is that, since he truly capable of being, then in turn, he is also capable of recognizing what actually is reality, and what seems to be reality, what is a mere image of it. Their job is to help guide the rest of the society, to help guide the people who do not have the wisdom to see for themselves, those who do not have the wisdom to leave the cave and view reality for themselves. However, each person has their own place in this society, their own niche. They each contribute to an integral part of the society; if one of the triad was missing, the society would not run in the same way, possibly not even at all. This creates a sense of community among members of the society. The exact opposite is the case in the cities which the prince founds. He gains power by killing off the members of the community which may oppose his ideas, and he oppresses to keep the rest in line. He seems to be good, fair, just, religious, etc. when it suits his purposes, but for the most part, he is not. The prince does not act on what is good for the community, but rather, what is good for his kingdom.O...
