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Machiavelli's Of Cruelty And Mercy And Whether It

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The question of fear and mercy is pivotal to Machiavelli's discussion regarding the appearance of a Prince. Machiavelli seems to be an individual that seems to be for obtaining dominance, regardless of the actions taken to gain that power. For instance, he praises the actions of Borgia and Agathocles who murder anyone they need to, to achieve their goals. This calls to question whether one wants to be feared or respected. Machiavelli appears to see Borgia's actions as ones to be respected due to the fact they restored Romagna. This leads to his advice that a Prince keeps his people faithful through cruelty disregarding the people's feelings about the matter. Niccolo Machiavelli trans Harvey Mansfield, "Of Cruelty and Mercy and Whether It
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