Frederik the Great Antimachiavelli - Niccolo Machiavelli and Christian Wolff
Biography of Frederik the Great
Frederik the Great was the king of Prussia, as a king Frederik the Great also had great interest in the arts and sciences, he lived in 1712-1786.
Frederik the Great is the person most offended by the teachings of Niccolo Machiavelli, so his teachings in many ways are against and refute the teachings of Niccolo Machiavelli, his teachings are written in his book "Antimachiavelli".
Frederik the Great and Niccolo Machiavelli
Conflict of souls or contradicting teachings or contradictions of ways of thinking between Niccolo Machiavelli and Frederik the Great occurs because of different circumstances experienced.
In contrast to the situation in Italy and in France, where at the time of his life Niccolo Machiavelli was always experiencing chaos and division and degeneration of morals so that there was no morality at all in the practice of state administration and law, the conditions of life in the court of Prussia were very lawful and orderly where they were pushed aside away from all lusts and luxury goods so that the atmosphere and circumstances become so calm and serene and this gives people more possibilities to think about things than in an atmosphere and state where one is always looking for consolation and luxury goods. and indulge his lust with no limits.
In Prussia everyone was given rights to its king, and each entity was given the right to make its own rules. This would not have been possible in France without first instigating a mighty revolution.
If Niccolo Machiavelli teaches that people can not keep their promises and words if it is in the interests of the country, then Frederik the Great in his rebuttal says that, people are not measured by their words, because if this is the case, then people will always make mistakes.But first one has to pay attention to and then compare their attitudes, behavior and actions with each other, and only then to test them against their words. Against such constant comparisons, pretense and deception are paralyzed and helpless.
In addition, if Niccolo Machiavelli in his teachings is based on the opinion that all people are evil, in the environment of bad people, good people will surely perish. So a king must learn not to be a good person, because a king must also be capable, even clever, and not keep his promises.
With regard to this teaching, Frederik the Great argued that the opposite was true, therefore the teachings of the Florence scholar, Niccollo Machiavelli, killed cultural values. Yet it is this culture that gives rise to reason, and not the other way around, as argued by Niccolo Machiavelli from Florence.
The contradiction between Niccolo Machiavelli's teachings and Frederik the Great's teachings occurs, except because of differences in circumstances as discussed, also because of Frederik the Great's misunderstanding, namely that the teaching given by Niccolo Machiavelli is a general teaching. Though that is not the case.
Niccolo Machiavelli wrote his teachings in his book "Il Principe". The teachings in the book II Principe so offended the young king Frederik the Great of Prussia, that he opposed and argued and ordered writing in his book "Antimachiavelli", intended only for a certain time and place with special circumstances. namely to overcome the situation in Italy which at that time was experiencing chaos and division as well as moral degeneration, so the intention was good, namely to reunite the situation and restore the authority of the government, namely the king.
If the character later becomes a doctrine, it becomes a general teaching, it is not because Niccolo Machiavelli has such aims and objectives, but because those who study and then interpret or consider it as a general teaching or doctrine, for the benefit and benefit of themselves .
However, it is clear and certain that the adherents of Niccolo Machiavelli's teachings can cause moral decline and even corruption, especially in the field of morality.
This is what must be broken first. Thus, it turns out that the entire book "Antimachiavelli" of Frederik the Great is in the form of opposition and denial to the contents of the book Il Principe of Niccolo Machiavelli, as well as the aspirations and enthusiasm of a young king of Prussia, which is the basis of a nationality, and, united minds of all the people of the country.
For Niccolo Machiavelli, the main problem is, there is order that must be achieved even though by any means, in a transitional period from a society which is degenerate and morally degenerate.
As a king Frederik the Great also contributed to the arts and sciences. He can carry the good name of the country and the nation. Many scholars who became interested in, and went to Prussia, include Christian Wolff.
Christian Wolff
Christian Wolff, he was a law scholar, Christian Wolff lived 1679-1754. His position was as professor at the College in Halle.
Christian Wolff has continued the development of natural law after Thomasius, and wrote his teachings in his book which was named: "Jus Naturale, the scientific method of pertractum". Namely about natural laws that are described scientifically. The view which has been used by science in the eighteenth century since John Locke is here defended and defended.
What is taught in this book is the equality of people to one another and their freedom which comes from nature, by putting pressure on their natural rights.
From this teaching, what is important is the thought and effort of Christian Wolff to give content to natural law logically-deductively, namely to free it from the bonds of Roman law.
But these thoughts and efforts according to Von Schmid failed.
