Machiavelli's The Prince

Machiavelli’s, “The Prince” is the ideal book for individuals intending to both govern and maintain a strong nation. Filled with practical advice, he includes numerous religious references to support his claims. He devotes a chapter within the book to speak about the ancient founders of states. In the chapter called, “On new principalities that are acquired by one’s own arms and by virtue”, Machiavelli discussed the importance of a prince to have their own talent in governing a nation, rather than having relied on fortune to rule. The latter is a risk no leader should take and he cited past leaders as a guide for both the current and future princes. In including those who in his opinion had superior leadership ability, Machiavelli seeks to

Whereas some are convinced that the does not deserve credit because of God’s help, other maintain that Moses was impressive in his own right. In including Moses, Machiavelli notes that the biblical leader of the Exodus can teach others how to govern a nation. Although, God helped Moses on his journey, however, the latter addition on Machiavelli’s list gives further credence to his leadership prowess, and importance as a role model for those seeking to emulate his success. By including Moses on his list of the ancient founders of states, Machiavelli recognized that he was an important leader. He selected various individuals that were great by their own talent and not by someone else. Thus, he criticizes those who claim to power was the result of other assistance, mainly using fortune as a mean for reaching their place of power. According to

He supports his reasoning with the words, “one ought not to reason about Moses, since we was a mere executor of the things that were ordered of him by God, yet he should be admired, if only for that grace that made him worthy of speaking with God” (53). Certainly, Machiavelli believed that Moses received instructions from God with this statement. In doing so, he refutes opponents who do may not want to acknowledge the relationship between God and Moses. While Machiavelli acknowledges the help that Moses received, he does not discredit his accomplishments during his time as the leader of the Israelites. Therefore, there should not be any speculation regarding Moses “leadership ability” because he had both opportunity and skill. With the information he received from God, he could have chosen to not to follow his words, but that was not the case. For a second time, Machiavelli mentions the connection between Moses and God when he says, “find them all admirable and if their particular actions… Moses, who had so great a teacher” (53). In other words, Machiavelli strongly believes that without God’s assistance, Moses’s would have been successful in his journey. His reasoning serves as additional evidence that Moses received instructions from God because. Ultimately, Moses with help from God led the Israelites to the promise