“Although one should not reason about Moses, as he was a mere executor of things that had been ordered for him by God, nonetheless he should be admired if only for that grace which made him so deserving of speaking with God” (22). In the context of The Prince, this statement proves to be duplicitous because Machiavelli claims that he will not reason about Moses, but then uses the following pages to do precisely that. Furthermore, Machiavelli draws extensively from the actions of Moses and the Old Testament God, although Machiavelli is often regarded as an antagonist of the Church. Machiavelli’s handbook for princes consists of concrete advice for rulers that directly reflect the more abstracted stories in Exodus. For instance, Machiavelli’s description of human nature in The Prince mirrors Moses’ experiences as the leader of the Israelites in Exodus.
Machiavelli argues the perfect prince will be both feared and loved by his people, and if unable to be both he will make himself feared and not hated. Machiavelli believes it is much safer to be feared than to be loved because people are less likely to offend and stand up against strong characters, also people are less concerned in offending a prince who has made himself loved. Accordingly, Machiavelli believes generosity is harmful to your reputation and the choice between being generous or stingy, merciful or cruel, honest or deceitful, should only be important if it aids the prince in political power. All in all, Machiavelli believes the ruler must be a great deceiver and do what is essential to uphold power over the
Hi 18 – S Essay 1 What Would Machiavelli Say in 140 Characters or Less? If a twenty-year old were to go back in time and get trapped in a secret chamber in the woods with nothing but Machiavelli’s The Prince? What would she do? Would she tweet about how bored she is and say “Ugh. Woke up in a strange place.
Niccolo Machiavelli was an in Italian Philosopher, historian, diplomat, and war strategist. He was born in Florence Italy in 1469. His mother’s name was Bartolomea di Stefano Nelli and his father’s name was Bernado di Niccolo. He was the youngest of three children. Machiavelli was born during very hectic era where countries such as Spain and the Holy Roman Empire were battling for regional control.
The views on humanity and human nature of Pico della Mirandola and Machiavelli had both similarities and differences. Pico della Mirandola developed over 900 theses that the pope declared heretical, and as an introduction to these theses, he wrote On the Dignity of Man, where he shares his views on humanity regarding God and the first man. Mirandola begins by stating all the magnificent things that God had created, and the complications of creating man. God then created man, “a creature of undetermined nature, and [placed] him in the middle of the universe.” God then tells Adam “that [he] may have and possess ... whatever place, whatever form, and whatever functions [he] shall desire” and that “[he] who [is] confined by no limits, shall determine for [himself] [his] own nature, in accordance with [his] own free will.”
A good country is first and foremost a stable country, in that it is not struck by physical or economic ruin and warfare and anything that would otherwise be devastating towards the peace and welfare of its people. Ideally in a stable country, citizens should be able to live their individual lives without much fear or concern about the country’s welfare and without interference from its government and officials. Many countries fit this criteria, or claim to. Lao Tzu advises the Master to “practice not doing, and everything will fall into place”. Throughout Tao-te Ching, Lao Tzu promotes inaction and a very passive form of governing in accordance to the Tao.
He was quite a cynic of the idea that people could do something kind and not be taken advantage of for it. This opinion was communicated quite clearly in chapter 15, when he was talking about the fancifulness of man; “For there is such a difference between how men live and how they ought to live that he who abandons what is done for what is ought to be done learns his destruction rather than his preservation.” However, he did argue that a prince should strive to appear kind and liberal, even if he is taking measures to do the opposite of what his image may imply. Machiavelli brings up this idea several times throughout his work, like the introduction of chapter 16; “Beginning with the first qualities… I say that to be considered liberal is good.” Machiavelli reads as rather hypocritical here, as while he assumes the worst of the intentions of the people, he still calls for the prince to appear as compassionate.
Machiavelli was an Italian politician and diplomat who would later go on to write a book called The Prince, which summarizes exactly how a leader should go about maintaining auth Machiavelli was an Italian politician and diplomat who would later go on to write a book called The Prince, which summarizes exactly how a leader should go about maintaining authority over his people. Throughout the book, the main point that Machiavelli tries to explain is that a ruler must do whatever he must to keep his rule, even if it means deceiving or hurting innocent people in the process. Machiavelli makes it clear that there are more important things than a ruler that is perceived as being kind. If a ruler is always kind then it will eventually be equated
In chapter XVII of The Prince, N. Machiavelli discusses the topic of cruelty and whether it is better for a ruler to be loved or feared. Machiavelli asserts the idea that if you are king, it is going to be quite impossible for all people to like you further emphasizing the idea that it is better to be feared. If a king needs to be cruel to maintain power, then so be it. One characteristic he expresses in this chapter is the ability to make decisions quickly without the influence of personal feelings. He believes a prince should be able to act ruthlessly if necessary, without hesitation.
One essential quality that a prince must develop due to the unfavorable qualities of men is the ability to be feared rather than loved as this quality is most beneficial for the power of the prince. Machiavelli states, “Since it is difficult to be both together, it is much safer to be feared than to be loved, when one of two must be lacking. For one can generally say this about men: they are ungrateful, fickle, simulators and deceivers, avoiders of danger, and greedy for gain” (58). Because men are generally selfish in nature and their actions are based on their own personal gains, it is risky for a prince to be loved by his citizens since it may potentially have negative consequences, especially because “men are less hesitant about injuring someone who makes themselves loved than one who makes himself feared” (58). Machiavelli demonstrates how due to the deceivious nature of men, it is essential for a prince to be feared by his citizens are men are less likely to be compelled to engage in mischievous behavior towards a leader whom they fear.
Prior to Machiavelli, most philosopher writers were concerned with creating an ideal world, and then applying that ideal world to matters that were currently occurring. Machiavelli did not agree with this method though. In chapter 15 of The Prince, Machiavelli says, “Neglecting to consider what is done because one is concentrating on what ought to be done is more likely to lead to ruin than preservation” (pg. 213). Unlike other philosophers that preceded him, Machiavelli is much more concerned with looking at the world as it is today, and seeing what is going right and wrong. Look at what is actually the case today instead of making up a fake world, and things will end up much better.
One aspect of Machiavelli’s theory which significantly contributes to his reputation as the “philosopher of evil,” is his advice to the prince on keeping their word to the public. In chapter eighteen, Machiavelli states, “a wise ruler cannot, and should not, keep his word when doing so is to his disadvantage, and when the reasons that led him to promise to do so no longer apply” (pg. 37). To simplify, Machiavelli says princes are obligated to lie in certain circumstances. He also states that while it is unnecessary for the prince to have positive qualities, such as honesty, trustworthiness, sympathy, compassion, or be religious, it is essential for the prince to be viewed so by the public (pg. 37). While many people argue that Machiavelli’s legitimization of lying and deception in politics is immoral, I argue the opposite.
To Machiavelli, there is no morality in politics, only political virtue (Prudence). Prudence means knowing when to exhibit virtue or vice. As long as the Prince understands the role of Prudence, they will be successful. However, Machiavelli made an oversight.
Both of these highly influential authors had different opinions on ruling that would shape how people would rule during their time and for rulers to come. One of Machiavelli’s major points in The Prince was that it was better to be feared than to be loved. He said this was because while both ways can be useful tools to help one rule, men are less likely to turn a ruler if they were afraid of punishment. Machiavelli had little faith in the common man and had this to say about them, “They are ungrateful, fickle, deceptive and deceiving, avoiders of dangers, eager to gain”(pg.353).
I. Machiavelli In his famous work the Prince Niccolo Machiavelli exposes what it takes to be a good prince and how only this good price and keep control over his state. There are many different qualities that make a man a good ruler but there are some that are more essential than others. In this work Machiavelli stresses the importance of being a warrior prince, a wise prince, and knowing how to navigate the duality of virtù and vices. Without these attributes there was no way that a prince could hold together their state and their people.
