Write an essay analyzing the ideas of Niccolò Machiavelli’s “The Qualities of the Prince,” Lao-Tzu’s “Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching,” and Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s “The Origin of Civil Society.” Which
author’s ideas do you most agree with and why? What do these authors imply about the obligation
of the state to the individual it governs, and about the obligation of the individual to the state? Is one more important than the other? In answering these questions, you will want to also consider the following thoughts: consider what each author sees as the ultimate purpose of government, consider what each author sees as the main work of the state. consider the attitudes each author has toward the essential goodness of people.
