· 2024· Book chapter
Kautilya: Arthashastra
- 191citations
- 2024year
Short summary
The Arthashastra, an ancient Indian treatise attributed to Kautilya, presents statecraft as a practical, amoral science advocating ruthless efficiency, espionage, and assassination for political gain.
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Key points
- The Arthashastra is an Indian treatise on politics, economics, war, peace, and statecraft.
- It is attributed to Kautilya (also known as Chanakya).
- The text advocates for amoral strategies such as espionage, secret police, and assassination.
- It emphasizes a practical, cost-benefit approach to governance.
- A wise ruler, according to the Arthashastra, must be ruthless, cunning, and free from sympathy or virtue.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
The Arthashastra is an Indian treatise on politics, economics, war, peace, and statecraft, attributed to Kautilya (also known as Chanakya). Ambitious and amoral, it has been compared to Machiavelli’s The Prince, as both view politics as a practical science advocating for espionage, secret police, and assassination. Both texts emphasize evaluating actions based on costs and benefits. According to the Arthashastra, a wise ruler must be ruthless, cunning, and free from sympathy, love, or delusions of virtue.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source., 2024 · DOI ↗
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Field: Religious studies
Religious studiesArts and Humanities