2015-090439Machiavellian Philosophy
Although many philosophers have managed to maintain relevant over the years, very few have managed to have modern implications with their work as well. Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) is one of those few, with his works, namely The Prince, actively influencing politics, upper management, and even popular culture. The Prince influences politics because it is a work that discusses how to gain and retain power. It influences upper management for similar reasons. And it finally influences popular culture through characters in media and mental health. Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince influences politics, upper management, and popular culture.
First of all, The Prince was published in 1532. It was written as
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the Medici family was coming back into power and Machiavelli wanted to impress the family.
Machiavelli wrote it for the new prince, Lorenzo de Medici. The intentions of the book were to give insights and advice into the political minefield. Machiavelli’s goal with this work were to both gain the respect of Lorenzo, and to, hopefully, make a competent ruler. It was written in Italian instead of Latin so the young prince could actually read and make use of it. In this manual of sorts, Machiavelli outlines what makes a good leader and how to gain and retain power. He also believed that the ends justified the means (e.g. if one is looking to achieve a position of power it is a just action to murder someone who might take that from you). However, contrary to popular belief, Machiavellian philosophy is not just about doing whatever it takes to get and keep power, it is more about what makes a good leader …show more content…
good and how to keep your citizens happy. It is not that a Prince should be loved or feared; it is that he should be loved and feared. This means that in order to be a good leader, you must be benevolent enough to make the masses like you, but also, be malevolent enough for people to not wish to fight you. This is demonstrated when Machiavelli writes that “the presence of sound military forces indicates the presence of sound laws”. If the military is good then the laws, and by extension citizens, must be good. Good soldiers follow good laws and lawmakers. Machiavelli wrote The Prince with the intention of gaining the respect of the de Medici family, a powerful family in Italy. Machiavellian philosophy has few weaknesses and many strengths. It’s weaknesses mostly come from an individual’s opinions. One might say that it isn’t right to kill someone in order to gain power, something that Machiavelli would deem an acceptable mean to a very acceptable end. Another weakness of Machiavellian philosophy is that it can be prone to corruption. If one needs to buy silence in order to retain power they might do so. Although less of a problem today as social media can expose or spread any information at an incredibly fast pace (e.g. Rob Ford). Also, Machiavellian leaders are prone to narcissism as they share common traits (e.g. holding oneself in high regard or only caring about themselves). This can cause problems to arise although it should not decrease or shadow their ability to lead a nation. In fact it might even be beneficial, if said leader is liked and related with by the general population. The leaders desires might be more similar to that of the population. Of course this rarely happens as leaders are frequently disliked by the general population and they must make decisions that reflect that. Machiavellian philosophy finds its strengths in it’s ability to gain and retain power. Although it does lend itself towards violence and corruption, it still has the best interest of the people in mind, even if that does mean murder. Machiavellian philosophy is still relevant in modern day politics. This can be seen in developing nations especially. It is a good eat dog world where murder and corruption are rampant. Commodities like fresh water or food are hoarded and distributed at high costs. Taking Kony as an example. He uses child soldiers and death to maintain his power. The means are using and brainwashing child soldiers. The ends are power and fear. In the eyes of Machiavelli, this is acceptable. In addition, Vladimir Putin, is one of the few remaining successful Machiavellian leaders. He has instilled fear in the world’s leaders while also being liked by his citizens. Russia has consistently elected strong leaders, and Putin is just that. He has demonstrated he is not afraid to do what it takes to obtain power (e.g. annexing Crimea). Machiavellianism actively influences modern day politics. Machiavelli’s believes and philosophy heavily influence those in high corporate or management positions.
On occasion in order to obtain a promotion one must obliterate another’s chance at the same position, whether it be through blackmail or whistleblowing. This lines up with Machiavelli’s believes that one must do whatever it takes to gain power and that the ends justify the means, In addition, in some extreme situations, a CEO may need to eliminate the competition or someone threatening the ways of the business. This could be as simple as publicly undermining them or humiliating them or it could be as extreme as killing them. A Machiavellian CEO would likely eliminate the threat no matter the costs, in order to keep power. However, someone with that power who isn’t Machiavellian would likely plan for the aftermath and how to keep the company on
top.
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.
As he begins to conclude, Machiavelli states that the prince: “should think about avoiding those things which make him hated and despised.” (Mach 48) Although these lack any withstanding moral values, they are effective in the sense that they better serve their purpose. Machiavelli was seeking to display a way to hold political power by any means possible not a utopian state. This may mean malicious acts, imprisonment, and torture, or it may mean the utilization of power to achieve a common good. Machiavelli doesn’t elaborate on this. He concentrates on a realistic approach towards government, as he remains concerned with the establishment and protection of power.
In recent history, the last fifty years or so, modern businessmen and politicians have given Machiavelli a Renaissance of his own. Professional politicians have written novels they claim to be on the same philosophical level of Machiavelli’s The Prince. Gary Hart, in his book The Patriot: An Exhortation to Liberate America From the Barbarians attempts to update Niccolo to the modern age with his own political philosophies, and attempts to credit Machiavelli by quoting him frequently. “Hart makes an effort to mimic the form, if not the spirit, of the most famous work by his Florentine ‘mentor.’…There is a dedicatory le...
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.
Possibly the most controversial book ever written, The Prince by Machiavelli, focuses on how a Prince or leader should rule. Many of the techniques that are stated in the text have caused many debates ever since it’s publication. When Machiavelli composed the Prince, his contemporaries were shocked at the ideas and themes presented. The Prince introduced a whole new way of thinking that was almost completely contrary to present beliefs. For that reason, in 1559 the Pope banned the printing of the Prince and the rest of Machiavelli’s writings.
The book is basically divided into four parts in which basic ideas of acquiring and holding new states, making alliances, avoiding rebellion, maintaining military and prince’s reputation are represented. Chapters 1 to 11 discuss the types of states, the way they are created and governed. Chapters 12 to 14 discuss the importance of a strong military and suggestions on keeping it under the prince’s command. Chapters 15 through 19 deliberate on the importance virtues. Chapters 20 to 25 focus psychological factors that impact the government. As said by Thomas Block in his book Machiavelli in America, “Machiavelli discussion was guided by the underlying view that lofty ideals translated into bad government” .
Machiavelli has long been required reading for everyone intrested in politics and power. In The Prince Niccolo M
In The Prince, Machiavelli separates ethics from politics. His approach to politics, as outlined in The Prince, is strictly practical. Machiavelli is less concerned with what is right and just, and instead with what will lead to the fortification of the government and the sustainment of power. Machiavelli believed that a ruler should use any means necessary to obtain and sustain power. He says, “…people judge by outcome. So if a ruler wins wars and holds onto power, the means he has employed will always be judged honorable, and everyone will praise them” (Machiavelli, 55). According to Machiavelli, the ends of an action justify the means (Machiavelli, 55). His motivation for these views in The Prince was the reunification of the Italian city-states (Machiavelli, 78-79). Machiavelli wanted Italy to return to its glory of the Roman Empire (Machiavelli 78-79). Some of the beliefs of Machiavelli could be perceived as evil and cruel, but he found them necessary. Machiavelli was not concerned with making people happy. His purpose was outcome and success, and in his opinion, the only way to be successful was to be realistic. These views of Machiavelli could classify him as one of the earliest modern
... to the times of kings and princess, however it must be noted that the underlying human emotions and their motivations can only be dealt with decisiveness and deep plotting. The concepts discussed are applicable to all leaders and politicians holding offices. Bottom line is, some things never changes. Even though a lot has changed, principles of Machiavelli’s Prince are adapted and used widely yet secretly in a complex world of growth and prosperity with a greater demography and geography.
Machiavelli uses classical sources to advise a prince on the best way to maintain power. He alludes to Plato’ Republic to illustrate how many men have attempted to advice princes “ A great many men have imagined states and princedoms such as nobody ever saw or knew in the real word, and there’s such a difference between the way we really live and the way we ought to live that the man who neglects the real to study the ideal will learn how to accomplish his ruin, not his salvation.” Machiavelli also makes various references to classical figures to demonstrate examples of princely leadership. Machiavelli’s classical allusions are indicative of the Renaissance as the renewed study of the ancient classics was an important element of the Renaissance. Machiavelli adopted classical ideas in the hopes that these examples could inspire improvements within Italy. Rafael Major supports this idea in “ A New Argument for Morality: Machiavelli and the Ancients.” He argues, “ Even a cursory survey of classical literature reveals that very little of The Prince can properly be called original.” More also reflects the Renaissance through his classical allusions. He uses his classical sources to criticize certain practices within Europe, while also offering solutions to these problems through the example of the classics. For example, he also alludes to
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.