Which would be considered the most powerful?
A leader that can convince people to do right, and follow his example, by choice.
Or the leader with a really big gun, that he uses to punish the people who will not obey his orders?
Any thoughts?
a leader that convinces others to kill for him…
-Imp
Bingo!
It is evil that often seems more powerful. As a kid i could construct a tower for thirty-seven minutes and then could destroy it in a matter of seconds. Destruction is much easier than creativity.
So the man who kills is more powerful, but not necessarily more admirable.
Now this is something odd I’ve been thinking of lately: yhe good it seems needs power to be effected, but we often see power without the good. This is why education and such stuff is not practical, but it is necessary, as the good is the “that for the sake of which” which we require but which power does not.
– mrn
You could actually look at it in two different views:
- an intelligent ruler
- an ignorant ruler
I would assume you would choose #1 because I would=)
An intelligent ruler always will prevail over a zealous and
tyrannical one simply for the fact that he will have the peoples
love and approval.
The world moves with haste with a happy community don’t you think?
If you were to choose #2, you would rule with an iron fist but the
community wouldn’t’ be happy under your rule. You wont progress
as you would want because you would probably limit citizens
access to “knowledge” (generally speaking) and void them of their
voice. In the end, under this rule, you wont get anywhere!
“Lead through policies, discipline through punishments, and the people may be restrained but without a sense of shame. Lead through virtue, discipline through the rites, and there will be a sense of shame and conscientious improvements” – Confucius.
I think that elegantly states where I stand on the issue.