Final answer:
Niccolò Machiavelli stated that the ultimate objective of rulers was to remain in power, differing from the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, and others who focused on wisdom, virtue, and the social good.
Step-by-step explanation:
Niccolò Machiavelli suggested that the ultimate objective of rulers was to remain in power. His practical approach to governance was not colored by idealistic visions of societal organization that characterized many of his predecessors' and contemporaries' thoughts, such as Plato, Aristotle, or Confucius. Machiavelli's view was rooted in a realistic understanding of power and the actions necessary to maintain it, a stance that he elaborated on in works like 'The Prince'.
Contrastingly, Plato and Aristotle considered ideal government forms to be ones where rulers were wise and virtuous, attending to the good of the community whether in the form of monarchy, aristocracy, or even 'Politeia'— a middle-ground governmental structure preferred by Aristotle. The focus for these philosophers was on justice and the good of the society. Even Thomas Hobbes, later on, emphasized the need for absolute authority to avoid the brutish 'state of nature', aligning in some ways with Machiavelli's understanding of power's role in establishing social order.