Machiavelli: Chapter Summary

Machiavelli, Niccolo, The Prince, Florence, Antonio Blado d’Asola, 1532. Niccolo Machiavelli is arguable the most influential philosophers of all time. Although his use of immoral strategies causes an unfavourable reputation, this unlikely approach to rationale perfectly demonstrates his belief that all shall be done to acquire power. The Prince, written by Machiavelli as a gift to the ruling family of Florence, the Medici, was a book entirely dedicated on how to achieve power specifically how to maintain it in order to run a successful state. Machiavelli states that a good prince must be capable to sense problems before they arise and in order to do so he must master The Art of War. The Art of War can only be mastered by those with virtue.

Each section has a different theme which coincides with the book’s overall thematic structure of how to attain and maintain power. The first section begins in chapter one and ends in chapter 11. This section discusses the different types of principalities. Many of these chapters share similar titles such as Chapter Three: Concerning Mixed Principalities and Chapter 11: Concerning Ecclesiastical Principalities. Machiavelli attempts to explain the different types of principalities and how they can affect a prince’s ruling. He states that the different means of attaining power can influence a prince’s authority and how to avoid losing control. The four principalities Machiavelli mentions are: Hereditary, Mixed, New, and Ecclesiastical, within each principality, a new approach to power must be coined. The second section is presented from Chapter 12 to chapter 24. This section describes the different armies and how a prince should lead the military. Machiavelli believes that in order for a prince to keep his power he must pay close attention to all military action. These chapters discuss the four different types of armies such as the Native troops and Mixed troops mentioned in chapter 13. Understanding the different types of armies can strengthen a military and provide an advantage in war since the prince has determined the most successful outcome. Section three is located from Chapters 15 to 23. It discusses how a prince

This is why he argues that it is more important to be feared rather than loved. Machiavelli viewed a person’s conscience and moral instinct as inferior to their true nature. He explains hi theory in chapter 17 when he discusses mans’ true intentions. He views man as wicked, selfish and immoral and when faced with a situation with a moral solution that is unfavourable and a immoral solution that is, man will choose what is favourable to him. He states that a man cannot be moral since it contradicts his true nature. He believes that men choose to do what is best for them rather than what is the greater good. Machiavelli mentions many historical examples within The Prince. He even dedicated Chapter fur entirely to the Kingdom of Darius that was conquered by Alexander. He also mentions the Sforza and Borgia families. The Sforza family is significant because of their involvement in Italy’s fall. Even though they did not rise from money, their impact was quite large due to their military involvement and successful rise to power. The Borgia family was admired by Machiavelli since he agreed with their approach to politics. It is quite similar to Machiavelli in the sense that there are no limits when trying to attain and maintain power. The ruthless mentality of the Borgia’s was seen as commendable to Machiavelli and quite often used them when providing examples for