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Overall analysis of Machiavelli's The Prince
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In the story of "The Prince" written by Niccole Machiavelli takes place in the sixteenth century, around the time when Italy was not a unified country. Rather, it was more of a collection of city-states, each with its own court and ruler, all aiming to gain power over one another. On top of the commotion from the toggle war of power between the city states, Italy became a battleground for the French, the Spanish, the Germans, and as well as the Catholic Church under the Popes. At the time the Popes had so much power, that they were practically equal to a secular king during that time period. Prior of when Italy became a battle ground the major Italian city-state, the republic of Florence, had established ties as an alliance with the French.
“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.
There are many different views regarding how a prince should rule, but in The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli, he advises Lorenzo de' Medici to rule with absolute power and to take extreme measures when necessary to maintain his power. Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513 with the intent of convincing Lorenzo de’ Medici to give him an advising position within the Florentine government. Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian writer and politician who lived from 1469 to 1527. In the dedication of his book, which was written in 1513, he explains that his writing is the most valuable thing that he has to offer. Through his detailed accounts of history and his ruthless approach to ruling Machiavelli explains why he tends to favor the ancients and has
Machiavelli believes that it is better to have ministers than nobles because any and all ministers powers belong to the prince but when it comes to nobles/barons they acan be easily swayed and would make victory for the enemies easy by opening
In recent years there has been debate on whether or not the president has too much power. The president 's power has increased over the years, I believe that this increase has given the president way too much power. The amount of power that the president has, can cause total destruction and can manipulate people into doing things that they do not actually believe in. A president should not have some of the powers that he possess, but they are given to him simply because he is the leader of the country. In my opinion the president should be allowed certain powers in order to run the country properly, he is also the leader of the country which grants him the right to have certain powers according to the constitution.
When Nicolo Machiavelli completed his book The Prince in 1513, he most likely was not expecting it to become one of the most controversial texts in literature. The book, roughly eighty pages thick, was not an entirely imposing volume. Yet it found success, and by the 1580’s it was being read by the various Kings and courtiers of Europe. Heavily criticized for their unethical ideas, Machiavelli his book do have their supporters, although not all of them believe in the teachings of The Prince. The book raises serious moral questions, and the innocence of Machiavelli is also up for debate.
In the book The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli, he writes to the new ruler of Italy, Lorenzo the Magnificent, on how he should rule his country. Machiavelli introduces his idea on how leaders should use their intelligence to see negativity in order to achieve growth. Additionally, Machiavelli writes to Lorenzo on how he as a leader should view positive and negative circumstances when faced with them in order to accomplish his goal. Machiavelli develops his idea by providing examples on how other leaders took advantage of their circumstances and witnessed growth in their country. For example, he talks about how Romulus, who was abandoned at his birth, faced adversity and became King of Rome.
Leadership is defined as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist and aid the support of others in the accomplishments of a common task.” Whether this is describing Hitler’s efforts in Germany or Machiavelli writing The Prince in Italy, one common characteristic these two great impressionable men had was the ability to lead and influence not just one, but also many. Was Hitler’s downfall from power a result of veering from Machiavelli’s advice? Had Hitler continued to follow the advice found in Machiavelli’s The Prince he most likely would have remained in power.
The practical advice given by Machiavelli in The Prince is that a prince should always give their best in everything they do, no matter what kind of assignment that is needed whether it be illegal or not. In one of his lines in this poem he says "it will be found that something which looks like virtue, if followed, would be his ruin; whilst something else, which looks like vice, yet followed brings him security and prosperity." which essentially means that men should follow vices more than virtues for real world duties. The idealistic slant for Princes is to have everything in control, complete ruling over the people. They believe they are able to get away with anything and everything that comes their way. For example of a prince did not like
In Chapter 25 of The Prince, Machiavelli wrote about the role of Fortune in human affairs. This seems to be representative of the new direction for many in Renaissance thought. He did not reject the idea that God was involved in the affairs of people, but he did believe that God completely controlled them. It seems he is saying that man was made with the understanding that he was to choose and create. Machiavelli says, "freedom of the will should not be wholly annulled."
It is also important to mention that Machiavelli during this time was not in public service or actively involved in politics, because of his dismission from office in 1512, when the Medici fmily regained control over Florence. I mention this, because it is possible that he wrote this book to inspire the unification of Italy and the fight against foreign occupators, however another reason could be that he wanted to get Lorenzo de Medici’s attention and respect (the book was dedicated to Lorenzo), so that his former status and position in Florentine politics and diplomacy can be restored. Some critics and scholars say that his book was intended as a satire, to show how a ruler should not behave and that there should be a highrt ethical principle, which will influence the decision-making process. However, I disagree and I believe in practical and realist nature of this book, and I think that author’s intention was to influence the prince, who will implement the advice given in the world
Renaissance means rebirth. The Renaissance was a time of renewal as well as of chaos in Europe since it was still recovering. More and more ideas of the ideal prince emerged, as there are many different city-states. One of the most noteworthy political philosophers of the sixteenth century was Niccólo Machiavelli whose book, The Prince, a political handbook for rulers, has brought him recognition. It can be seen that his ideas on politics and overall inspiration for the book mainly came from his views of the political problems that were taking place.
According to Machiavelli, a prince who keeps his promises is generally praised. But history demonstrates that most success is achieved when princes are crafty, tricky and able to deceive others. A prince can fight or succeed by using law or by using force. The use of law comes naturally to men and the use of force comes naturally to beasts. Hence, to achieve success, the prince must learn to fight with a balance between both law and force.
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.
According to Machiavelli, ideal prince is a risk-taker who puts a military on action, as the people respect the warrior. An ideal prince thinks for himself rather than relying on others, knows how to read characters, and does not surround himself with flatterers. He lives in reality, not fantasy. He works hard, utilizes his own mind, and makes survival of his guide. The ideal leader is neither loved nor hated, but respected.
