Machiavelli - The Prince

The Prince, one of the most popular and well known doctrines of political thought was also one of the greatest works of Niccoló Machiavelli. First published in 1513, The Prince was written in response to the failure of the Greek-based Italian city-states. Machiavelli wrote The Prince because, despite being a firm Republican, he was also well-documented as a strong patriot. He wanted that his people live under a free but effective government, but he decided that if his nation has to be ruled by a despotic form of government that he would rather have it be a strong yet merciful tyranny. He wasn’t paid for writing The Prince, it wasn’t even originally a book, but a series of letters to the Prince Lorenzo de Medici. He wrote it during exile, after he had been arrested and tortured by Medici’s people, so it is doubtful that they had a bountiful relationship.

Machiavelli’s intent, it would seem to the naked eye, was not to taunt the Prince, but to give him advice about how to survive on the throne and to also keep the dynasty in his family after his death. It appeared that he wanted to help the Prince to keep the nation free from invasion and occupation and also how to handle internal problems; such as when to bribe, oppress, cajole etc… Machiavelli’s real objective in writing The Prince was far different from the words that are found composed by him.

The letters from Machiavelli to the Prince of Florence were not messages of suggestion as much as they were a job application for a place in his dynasty. The actual ambition of Machiavelli was to use this political hypocrisy to promote his own good. He was a firm believer that one should give the people what they want in order to earn their support and respect. Then, once in the public’s good graces, to use your authority, position and support to promote and complete your own agenda, political or otherwise, as long as it would eventually benefit the good of the people. He was a believer that anything can be justified as long as the results in for the common good. Machiavelli used this idea to coin his most well known phrase, “the end justifies the means.'; He explains that is it necessary to appear to be a lovely moral person, but in reality, to act “as necessity dictates'; and this allows lying, perjury and other immoral acts as long as the overall intent and final product is for the Common Benefit.