Machiavelli The Prince Research Paper

Machiavelli's philosophy described in his writings The Prince had a pragmatic approach to politics. Machiavelli, born in 1469 during the Italian Renaissance, was a political philosopher, along with military experience as a defense secretary of the Florentine republic. He believed that a strong leader would provide security. In medieval times kings were appointed by God ruled men. The provided law and were scared individuals. Machiavelli, during the Renaissance period had an idealized view of leadership.

Machiavelli believed that the rulers should be those willing to defy, betray, deceive and kill in order to maintain their power. This was a radical approach to politics than ever before. Catholics had no interest in his radical ideas; however he did give them a dose of realpolitik into their political beliefs. As he states in The Prince, the way a prince should keep their word "in actions of men, especially princes, where there is no recourse to justice, the end is all that counts. A prince should only be concerned with conquering or maintaining a state, for the means will always be judged to be honorable and brave worthy by each and every person, because the masses always follow appearances and the outcomes of affairs, and the world is nothing than the masses."

He believed that "it is necessary for a ruler, if he wants to hold on to power, to lean how not to be good, and to know when it is and when it is not necessary to use his knowledge". Which brings up a good point about politics at the time? Machiavelli delivered idea of a monarchy, where leaders hold all the power verses a mix of constitutions; monarch, aristocracy and democracy. Democracy was what Machiavelli leaves out in his writings of The Prince that was the major force for the establishment of monarchy during the renaissance