Lao-Tzu and Machiavelli on Government and Those Who Govern Machiavelli, in “The Prince” and Lao-Tzu in “”Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching” have very opposing views. In their writings, they differ on topics such as qualities of a leader, functions of government, and human nature and the world around them. Here I will describe each of their views and compare the differences. Both Machiavelli and Lao-Tzu are philosophers writing in regard to Government, giving advice in ways that they feel people should be governed. Although they both composed their writings long ago, some of the advice given can still be put to good use in our modern world today. Machiavelli and Lao-Tzu are both very intelligent men, and have very clear perspectives on the topics they write about. On the topic of “Qualities of a leader”, Machiavelli has such strong opinions as to how a ruler should carry himself. He writes about whether it is best to be loved or feared, ultimately coming to a conclusion that a leader must be feared in order to govern his people. In his opinion, a leader who is loved is not doing his job. Machiavelli is almost demanding and has a strong need to control. He advises to be a stern leader, obtaining and maintaini...