Li, Cundao. “Utilitarian Thinkers in Two Worlds”, Boston College, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:109360.
Abstract
This study investigates the political thoughts of two thinkers, Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) from Renaissance Italy and Chen Liang (1143-1194) from Song China. Both thinkers argue against the popular of moral philosophy in state politics. They tried to use the idea of consequentialism, statecraft, and public interest to create their own utilitarian philosophy. This micro-comparison study will parallel two thinkers’ views on history, politics, and military in a similar historical context. These views are essential to the modernization of two civilizations.