Tag: ethics and power in political theory.

Critically analyze the conceptual and strategic parallels between the Arthashastra tradition, as articulated by Kautilya, and the European Realist tradition represented by Niccolò Machiavelli. In what ways do both texts converge in their understanding of power, statecraft, and political morality, and how do they reflect the broader philosophical assumptions underlying realist thought in ancient Indian and Renaissance European political theory?

~ Polity Prober

The Arthashastra by Kautilya (also known as Chanakya or Vishnugupta) and The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli are seminal texts in political theory that foreground a realist understanding of politics, statecraft, and power. Composed in vastly different cultural and temporal contexts—ancient India and Renaissance Italy—both texts converge in their strategic rationality, pragmatic orientation, and moral instrumentalism. … Continue reading Critically analyze the conceptual and strategic parallels between the Arthashastra tradition, as articulated by Kautilya, and the European Realist tradition represented by Niccolò Machiavelli. In what ways do both texts converge in their understanding of power, statecraft, and political morality, and how do they reflect the broader philosophical assumptions underlying realist thought in ancient Indian and Renaissance European political theory?