Machiavelli's Unethical Views On The Prince

Niccolò Machiavelli was an Italian scholar, politician, historian and writer during the European Renaissance. He was born on May 3rd, 1469 and he died on June 21, 1527. He is often called the father of modern political science. His ideas have inspired, and continue to inspire many peoples’ views on politics. He is best known for writing The Prince, which is a handbook for what he considered unethical politicians. It provided insight on how to rule and ensure safeness for their nation. He talked a lot about cruelty being the key to maintaining peace and achieving a successful nation. Since Machiavelli’s main concern at the time was to unite Italy, he felt that being feared and listened to instead of loved and ignored would help keep everything

For example, one article states “Indeed, Machiavelli seems almost ready to proclaim himself the first political scientist to behold the human condition without any illusions- to see the world as it is, men as they truly are - and having done so to discern and warn humanity about the danger of professing goodness in a world where so many are not” (Mindle,). Machiavelli believed in viewing and discussing the world in the most honest way possible so that he could also address the problems with being a morally correct ruler. He finds being honest and utilizing realism as a tool to properly reflect the time period. Moreover, “Skinner thinks that the Prince is written within the mirror-for-princes tradition; it holds 'up a "mirror" to princes, presenting them with an ideal image and asking them to seek their reflection in its depths” (Kain,). This mirror imagery describes Machiavelli’s want to show the intended readers (princes) exactly what’s occurring behind the scenes. By doing so, Machiavelli hopes that they realize their faults and eventually transform them into what Niccolò wanted. Machiavelli purposely wrote The Prince truthfully in order to display the reality of the time