The term “Machiavellian” has taken on a very public meaning in our current day. Our world is surrounded by cunning, devious, and savage people who are willing to go to absolute extremes, if it means getting what they want. It’s almost as if these people have taken Niccolo Machiavelli's rules into account, and have acted upon them. Though The Prince has a few underlyings that can be seen as a form of good politics, it is ultimately a handbook for tyrants. All of Niccolo Machiavelli’s ideas can be viewed on the surface as a cruel and barbaric way to obtain and maintain power. War must be the Prince’s only objective. Whenever prices loses interest or begin to neglect their responsibilities toward their army, they have already lost their state. …show more content…
In addition, a Prince needs to be able to lie, as long as it’s best for the kingdom. Anything, for that matter, is fair game for the Prince if it means an advantage for his citizens(Machiavelli,11). One must also be willing to make mistakes. Not only will making mistakes make a Prince seem less of a transcendent character in the eyes of the people, but it will also relieve a lot of pressure, which will allow him to succeed in the future. No man should be forced into perfection, because our brains simply don’t work like that(Machiavelli,11). A Prince should also be able to strike fear in his people's hearts, because then they will respect him. However, there is a catch. Too much fear can run citizens away. That is why it’s best to be both feared and loved. With this outlook, citizens will appreciate their leader, while also feeling a personal connection with him(Machiavelli,12). Finally, the last rule that Machiavelli gives in his book The Prince, is to be both a lion and a fox. In the wild, a …show more content…
This hostile environment was the reason behind his brutal guidelines for a leader. This being said, his rules can adequately be applied to modern-day abuses of power. Machiavelli said that war was a leaders only objective. Sure, most countries are not constantly at war, but that doesn’t mean countries aren’t prepared. The United States, North Korea, China, and practically all the other countries on the main stage, are regularly seen testing weapons and strengthening borders. This is simply because countries want to protect themselves at all times. No matter how neutral a country might seem to be, they always have defenses to fall back upon. It’s simply a safeguard that all countries rely on. Machiavelli also said that it’s okay for leaders to lie. All modern politicians lie straight thru their teeth to get elected. They all say they will lower taxes, decrease the national debt, and will lower unemployment rates, but this is never the case. It’s simply all a ploy and they use it to gain power. Unfortunately for us, there have been some modern leaders that seem as though they've taken Machiavelli's ideas to heart. The most recent happens to be Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong Un. Both of these men are/have been ruthless rulers. They have done whatever it took in order to instill fear in their people. The only thing these men care about is promoting their own personal
Many empirical things can often still be debated and refuted by experts, but there is a general admittance to the idea that power is the root of many evil things. In all fairness, we must admit that a many evil things can in their essence, be great. And that is one of the many theories advanced by Niccolo Machiavelli in his well-known work, The Prince. The Prince serves a dual purpose of both teaching a person how to attain power, but also how to retain it. Incredibly enough, history has proven most of Machiavelli’s findings and theories to work well, while some have failed to effectively secure power for the rulers who did, in fact try them. His work, does obviously highlight one main fact, which is, that power is a well sought-after attribute, and most who attain are willing to do whatever is necessary to keep it.
Niccolò Machiavelli was a man who lived during the fourteen and fifteen hundreds in Florence, Italy, and spent part of his life imprisoned after the Medici princes returned to power. He believed that he should express his feelings on how a prince should be through writing and became the author of “The Qualities of a Prince.” In his essay, he discusses many points on how a prince should act based on military matters, reputation, giving back to the people, punishment, and keeping promises. When writing his essay, he follows his points with examples to back up his beliefs. In summary, Machiavelli’s “The Qualities of a Prince,” provides us with what actions and behaviors that a prince should have in order to maintain power and respect.
Although Machiavelli gives numerous points on what it takes to excel as a prince, he also shows some raw examples of how he feels a prince should act in order to achieve maximum supremacy. First, when he says, "ought to hold of little account a reputation for being mean, for it is one of those vices which will enable him to govern" proves Machiavelli feels mighty adamant about his view that being mean will help a prince achieve success (332). It is absurd to imagine the meanest prince as the most successful. Also, when Machiavelli states, "our experience has been that those princes who have done great things have held good faith of little account, and have known how to circumvent the intellect of men by craft" revealing his attitude to manipulate people into fearing and respecting the prince (335). Also, Machiavelli shows that for a prince to be successful, he must not think about good faith.
The most astounding aspect of The Prince is Machiavelli’s view that princes may indeed, be cruel and dishonest if their ultimate aim is for the good of the state. It is not only acceptable but necessary to lie, to use torture, and to walk over other states and cities. Machiavellianism is defined as “A political doctrine of Machiavelli, which denies the relevance of morality in political affairs and holds that craft and deceit are justified in pursuing and maintaining political power (Def.)” This implies that in the conquest for power, the ends justify the means. This is the basis of Machiavellianism. The priority for the power holder is to keep the security of the state regardless of the morality of the means. He accepts that these things are in and of themselves morally wrong, but he points out that the consequences of failure, the ruin of states and the destruction of cities, can be far worse. Machiavelli strongly emphasizes that princes should not hesitate to use immoral methods to achieve power, if power is necessary for security and survival.
“The Prince”, by Niccolo Machiavelli, is a series of letters written to the current ruler of Italy, Lorenzo de’ Medici. These letters are a “how-to” guide on what to do and what not to do. He uses examples to further express his views on the subject. The main purpose was to inform the reader how to effectively rule and be an acceptable Prince. Any ruler who wishes to keep absolute control of his principality must use not only wisdom and skill, but cunning and cruelness through fear rather than love. Machiavelli writes this book as his summary of all the deeds of great men.
Machiavelli is undisputedly one of the most influential political philosophers of all time. In The Prince, his most well-known work, he relates clearly and precisely how a decisive, intelligent man can gain and maintain power in a region. This work is revolutionary because it flies in the face of the Christian morality which let the Roman Catholic Church hold onto Europe for centuries. Machiavelli's work not only ignores the medieval world's ethics: The Prince suggests actions which oppose the four most basic of Christianity's Ten Commandments.
Machiavelli discusses assertive and bold ideas in “The Prince,” revealing his radical and courageous nature. His treatise is deceptively self-soliciting, because he disguises his extreme notions behind a veil of feigned expertise. His frank approach makes him appear confident and deserving of the utmost respect; however, he cautiously humbles himself by pouring immense flattery for the ruling prince into his work and, in doing so, assures protection for himself and his notorious ideas.
Machiavelli in his famous book “The Prince” describes the necessary characteristics for a strong and successful leader. He believes that one of the most important characteristics is to rule in favor of his government and to hold power in his hands. Power is an essential aspect of Machiavelli’s theory, and a leader should do whatever it takes to keep it for the safety of his country because “the ends justifies the means.” To attain and preserve the power, a leader should rather be feared than loved by his people, but it is vital not to be hated. As he states, “anyone compelled to choose will find far greater security in being feared than in being loved.” If a leader is feared, the people are less likely to revolt, and in the end, only a threat of punishment can guarantee obedienc...
The Theme of Freedom and Oppression in Short Stories In the world of literature, themes such as freedom and oppression are both viewed and examined within various narratives of stories. The two short stories, “Saboteur” by Ha Jin and “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, dive right into these themes in order to shed light on the struggles faced by the protagonist and or individuals involved within situations of oppression. Through the analysis of these stories, we can develop an understanding of how the authors are able to use symbolism as a way to convey their messages about freedom and oppression to their audience members in relevance to today’s world. The theme of oppression and the journey for the protagonist’s freedom is distinctive in both
Machiavelli, Niccolò. The Prince. Robert M. Adams, trans., ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1977. pp. vii.-75.
Although, Machiavelli argues that an ideal ruler must be cruel, feared and unjust in order to maintain power in his paper, "The Prince", this is not necessary true. An ideal ruler must be assertive, just and filled with integrity to maintain power, prestige, and the loyalty of those he governs.
In the sixteenth century, there were three sets of socioeconomic statuses that one could acquire or be a part of, the clergy, the nobility, and the peasantry. The divide between these three generalized classes was far more complicated in reality that it seems, as socioeconomic classes consist of multiple branches. Nonetheless, it all essentially came down to two undeniable factions, the oppressors and the oppressed. Niccolo Machiavelli, being a mixture of the two due to his living situation while writing the book, gained a middle-ground which allowed him to achieve omnipotent intelligence that so many rulers normally lack, first hand experience of what it like to live both lives, one as a peasant and the other as a nobleman. This omnipotent
The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli isn't about one man's ways to feed his power hungry mindset through gluttony, nor is it just explaining altercations between a nation's states. This writing is regarding to how one's self-confidence can make them become powerful in a society and also, the way morals and politics differ and can be separate in a government. Originally, Machiavelli wrote The Prince to gain support from Lorenzo de' Medici, who during the era, was governor of Florence. As meant as writing for how a society should be run, this book has been read by many peoples around the world who want to have better knowledge of the perfect stability of beliefs and politics required to run a good civilization.
Machiavelli is “a crystal-clear realist who understands the limits and uses of power.” -- Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jared Diamond (2013)
Machiavelli’s The Prince was written more than 500 years ago and it is “one of the most influential and controversial books published in Western literature.” (Article A) It was about Machiavelli’s political philosophies and the basic principles of what he believes a politician or “prince” should be. The three main ideas of the Prince were “Liberality and Stinginess”, “Cruelty and Mercy: Is It Better to Be Loved Than Feared, or the Reverse?”, and “How a Prince Should Keep Their Promises” and for the most part many of his concepts should or are already instilled in our government.