The Prince In The Year Of 1513

Individualism is the primary focus on one’s self rather than the whole. It is a social theory favoring freedom rather than being controlled. Individualism can be seen multiple times throughout history, whether it is shown through stories or actual actions of real figures in time. Some cultures even place more importance on the individual while other cultures find it necessary to focus more on the community as a whole. Two civilizations that displayed Individualism were the Renaissance and Greece.

The Renaissance was a time of rebirth and occurred during the times of Classical Humanism around1300-1600 C.E. It came out of Middle Ages and went straight into modernity. Religion began to be challenged by individualism, secularism and rationalism. One piece in particular that was significant to individualism was Machiavelli’s The Prince in the year of 1513. This was a prime example of power and fear since it was created as a guide for rulers of the Italian city states. Within his Machiavelli’s text, he states that it is better to be feared rather than being loved. He believed that people would betray those that were loved, but would not dare to betray a feared ruler. Machiavelli viewed humans as greedy and selfish. He encouraged the ideal of individualism

Greece was a time that encouraged its citizens to explore human intellect, since they believed that it would affect both the individual and the community. Between the times of 390 B.C. and 340 B.C. a few figures became significant to the role of individualism. Plato, for instance, wrote the Allegory of the Cave, which shed light on the idea of knowledge. Within this piece, it displayed the idea of seeking knowledge for one’s self. Similar to Plato’s ideas, Aristotle also stressed the primary focus to be on the individual and creating individual happiness before happiness within a community. These aspects touched on Greece’s focus on