Machiavelli's Analysis

Adding complexity to what was conventionally considered essential for an efficacious sovereign, NicolÒ Machiavelli challenged the concept of ultimate moral goodness by introducing a nuance unnamed by any other philosopher. This new concept, virtÙ, is a pertinent piece of examination when evaluating Machiavelli’s political theory. VirtÙ, in a most basic definition, is the force and energy of the mind used for good or bad purposes. This opposes the prior notions that excellent leaders were able to only bestow good. The force that likely influenced Machiavelli to enlighten leaders about the importance of virtÙ can be traced to his political livelihood and experiences during an unstable political era, in which Italian city-states were under consistent attack from abroad. This constant political

Beginning with the biblical account of David, Machiavelli notes that his excellence in “arms, in learning, [and] in judgment” gave him the virtÙ to conquer his neighbors, leaving a prosperous kingdom to his son, Solomon(Machiavelli, 52) . However, Machiavelli states that because Solomon did not achieve this peace on his own, but was able to remember the effort it took to achieve the peace his kingdom flourished in. Like any other lesson taught from generation to generation in a family, Machiavelli claims that by the time Rehoboam had acquired the throne, he had not been taught virtÙ, as he had only known peace. In this example, Machiavelli stresses the importance of political virtÙ (specifically, caution) when he exclaims, “a weak prince can maintain himself; but after a weak one, no kingdom can be maintained with another weak one” (Machiavelli, 119). Like any other skill, the art of exercising caution through political reign can only be utilized when one knows how to purposefully use it. This knowledge, according to Machiavelli, is