essay 2

Stability Versus Freedom: Which is More Important to Government?


The struggle between government control and individual freedom has always been an ongoing struggle. Which is more important, stability of government or freedom of public? How can a government maintain order and the safety of its people yet preserve an individual’s liberty? Niccolo Machiavelli’s “The Qualities of the Prince,” published in 1513, offers how a prince should rule a country. Henry David Thoreau, who was put in jail for refusing to pay taxes supporting the Mexican War which he considered unjust, talks about how one should be governed in “Civil Disobedience,” published in 1849. While Machiavelli emphasizes that maintaining order and control is important in government, Thoreau asserts liberty of people is important and people have an impact on their government to make it better.


Machiavelli says “the end justifies the means” (Jacobus 45) which means a ruler must not care about whether the means are moral or immoral to preserve his state. Machiavelli states that “he does not fret over the possible problems that may accompany the use of “unpleasant” means, such as punishment of upstarts, or the use of repression, imprisonment, and torture” (Jacobus 36). He insists government can do injustice behavior to their own advantage even besiege towns to your own advantage (Jacobus, 36). Thoreau’s views seem to disagree with Machiavelli’s reasoning as Thoreau insists people have to get away from expedient and do the justice behavior “cost what it may” by quoting Paley’s saying; “. never to have contemplated those cases to which the rule of expediency does not apply, in which a people, as well as an individual, must do justice, cost what it may. I f I have unjustly wrested a plank from a drowning man, I Must restore it to him through I drown myself. This, according to Paley, would be inconvenient. But he that would save his life, in such a case, shall lose it” (Jacobus 141).


In the respect of war and army, Machiavelli insists a prince have to be good at war than any other things, whereas Thoreau against even the Mexican War which could give their country a lot of advantage. Machiavelli states “A prince, therefore, must not have any other object nor any other thought, nor must he take anything as his profession, but war, its institutions” and “being disarmed makes you despised” (Jacobus 38). These statements suggest that in order to maintain a country, a ruler must always prepare for war and have strong military power. However, Thoreau states about an army as “Now what are they? Men at all? or small movable forts and magazines at the service of some unscrupulous man in power?” (Jacobus, 139). He describes men fighting in war as machines lacking morals, rather than men trying to protect country. Thoreau think war is unjust and describes men obeying governmental law even when they believe it to be unjust as “no more respect than men of straw or a lump of dirt. They have the same sort of worth only as horses and dogs”, “they are as likely to serve the Devil, without intending it, as God”, and even “painted lady” (Jacobus, 141).


According to Machiavelli who stresses the government’s physical strength, government has to control people though fear and power. Machiavelli says that “it is safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking. men are less hesitant about harming someone who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared” (Jacobus 44). In this point, unlike Machiavelli’s standpoint, Thoreau emphasize government should be less controlling. He states, “I heartily accept the motto that government is best which governs not at all” (Jacobus 137). He continues that individual’s conscience is much stronger than power of government and stresses the government which doesn’t oppress people with physical power but respect; “The State never intentionally confronts a man’s sense, intellectual or moral, but only his body, his senses. It is not armed with superior wit or honesty, but with superior physical strength. I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let us see who is the strongest” (Jacobus 150).


Machiavelli insists as long as preserve government stable and prosperous, ruler’s immoral behavior doesn’t matter and even can deceive public. He state that “A wise ruler, therefore, cannot and should not keep his word when such an observance of faith would be to his disadvantage and when the reason which made him promise are removed. But it is necessary to know how to disguise this nature well and to be a great hypocrite and a liar” (Jacobus 38). Unlike Machiavelli, Thoreau emphasize on moral government comparing government to a machine and the problems of government to “friction”. Mere presence of friction is normal to a machine, however the injustice is no longer occasional but a major characteristic and demands that people cooperate with injustice, people have to against the government and change the machine; the government. He says about justice “If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go, let it go; . but if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, them I say break the law” (Jacobus 145).


Machiavelli stresses government deceiving unenlightened people to maintain order and control, but at the same time Thoreau emphasizes on civil having an impact on their government. Machiavelli presents a points of view that a ruler’s actual behavior doesn’t affect their reputation since most citizens doesn’t know actually what their prince do but judge their prince fair and just if the majority think so. He stating that “And men in general judge more by their eyes than their hands; for everyone can see but few can feel. Everyone sees what you seem to be, few perceive what you are, and those few do not dare to contradict the opinion of the many who have the majesty of the state to defend them; and in the actions of all men” (Jacobus 47). Thoreau’s opinion on this are differ in which he say people should be “wise minority” resisting government that acted badly and disobey unjust laws acting on the basis of conscience. He also insists that the power of minority is enough to change government better. He respects each individual. He states, “I know this well, that if one thousand, if one hundred, if ten men whom I could name-if ten honest men only-ay, if one HONEST man in this State of Massachusetts, ceasing to hold slaves, were actually to withdraw from this containership and be locked up in the country jail therefore, it would be the abolition of slavery in America” (Jacobus 146). Thoreau’s ideal relationship between the individual and the government occurs in his description of “a really free and enlightened State” which “recognizes the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly” and “can afford to be just to all men and to treat the individual with respect as a neighbor” (Jacobus 156). Thoreau stresses the moral government which respects each person’s conscience and follows it.


About governing countries, between the stability of government and freedom of individual has always been a controversial issue and it will be recurring. Machiavelli insists government can oppress and do the immoral behavior to protect government from other countries and make government stabilized and prosperous, whereas Thoreau asserted that government has to be small not to oppress people and people freely follow their moral conscience. The stability of government and freedom of individual are both too important to choose just one, as Machiavelli believes. Stability and safety is a basic requirement to be a better government. When government satisfies a fundamental desire such as safety, it starts to seek other yearnings like freedom and welfare. Since in Machiavelli’s time his country was threatened from other powerful countries, he doesn’t have a choice but only cares about strengthening physical power of his government to protect people of his country. In these circumstances, each individual’s rights are sacrificed easily to protect many people, on the other hand, in Thoreau’s society, his country lived well and had power enough to make their people safe. So, he insists that government has to respect each person, encourage them to express their own opinion freely, and promote reflecting public opinion in government.

pronounciation

I am helping graduate student her name is Rachel to write hergraduate papaer about how to improve Korean student's pronounciation by combine TESOL and language disorder program.
I thought it could behelpful for me too in that not only I can improve my pronounciation but also learn how to help student improve pronouciation. After some examination of my pronouciation, she told me I have problem with "z" and "ch" sound. So I am practicing this sounds by game; binggo, playing house, go fish and war ship. It sound like a little but childish but it's fun. One day I have big problem with pronouciate "blizzrd" and "cracker". Since It was really hard for me, after the practice my throat was too sore and I still have problem to pronociate the words. The other day I told someone "Where is Rachel?" and she couldn't understand what I am talking. When I told it to Rachel, she told me her name have "R", "L" and "Ch" sound that even it was really hard to pronouciate for her in childhood, so she called herself as "cha cha". It make me releif a little bit. I hope this survey help me to improve my pronouciation.

step show

I went to "step show" yesterday. Step show is dance of African-American which the paricipant's entire body is used as an instrument to produce complex rhythems and sound through a mixture fo foorsteps. cpoken word, and hand claps. Before the show people make unfamiliar sound like “eeeeeeee” or “uuuuuuuu”. The people besides me told me each sound have meaning even though it is just sound to us. For example, I am not quite sure how I can describe the sound “uuuuuuu” mean “we are here.” It was exciting and everyone get into the rhythm during the show. Step show seems like mixed with current African-American and African culture to me and it was nice to see they preserve their culture and developed it in their own way. After I watched the show I was curious about it and search on the Internet and it said step show’s origin is ; African American stepping finds its origins in a combination of military close-order and exhibition drill, and African foot dances such as the Welly "gumboot" dance. It also originally drew heavily from the stage routines and movements of popular R&B groups such as the Temptations and The Four Tops. During the mid-20th century, historically-black fraternities and sororities on United States college campuses traditionally sang and chanted to celebrate "crossing over" into membership of their respective organizations. Stepping is also performed by schools, churches, cheerleading squads, and drill teams.

economic problems

I read the newspaper article about a napa cabbage is really expensive. It cost $15 per one head. One more big problem is when President in Korea heard this problems he suggested people that switch from kimchi made from napa cabbages to round cabbages. About this article public are angry that a president doesn’t know about his countries’ market situation that lettuce is also expensive; it cost $8 and even lettuce is $3.5 per 100g. It is quite serious problems that the kimchi-macking season is coming and kimchi is daily dish in Korea. Normal people can’t even eat vegetable now.
After I read about this article I seriously worry about my country. Before few days ago, in the class we talk about the gulf between rich and poor. Since we have a lot of student from many country, we talk about each countries’ situation and one American student told that Korea are becoming like America having big gap between rich and poor. In Korea, there has been a sharp increase in prices while wage didn’t rise for a wrong time. During fall break I went to Nashville and met a lot of beggars. Almost every person walking road was beggar. When I was waiting bus, one beggar approached to me and starts to talk to me. He told me he was business man and he try to get the job but fired 4 times and now he doesn’t have job after depression. He told me George Bush and Obama is crazy. I asked him why? And he told me that because he is rich and he don’t know about poor people’s situation. May be I can think that he just blame government and waste all the support money to drink and smoke, but it is really true that president doesn’t know how people in their countries live according to the cabbage article. If you ride America public bus, you can recognize that people in bus is poor even their clothes and appearance. Most of people doesn’t walk Nashville. Only beggar and traveler walk along the street I realized it. Look at the cabage article! All the time politician say a lot of sweet things but normal public can’t feel something getting better. The time pass, people getting more hard to live. I really worry about our country become country where normal people are hard to live and become country only for richpeople.