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Power Is Not Evil In Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince

1044 Words5 Pages

Power is not evil, it is the user that makes it evil. Machiavelli, a controversial figure in political history left a legacy of brutal reality which disturbed many people. Niccolo Machiavelli’s, The Prince explores the groundbreaking ideas for a prince to secure the leading position in government and retain his power and leadership. Human nature combined with power has the possibility of becoming tragically destructive. However, that wreckage stems from the environment, and the actions displayed from power demonstrate effective truth which inspires the wickedness in humans. Machiavelli’s logical reasoning exhibits self-interest and preservation which is a habitual characteristic of human nature. Machiavelli states, “And let it here be noted …show more content…

Machiavelli poses the question, “whether is is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved” (Chapter 17, Page 43). The patent answer would be, it is better to be loved and feared, but fear and love hardly ever converge. Machiavelli’s assessment to this question revives the concepts of human nature and virtue. The aspiration for a prince is to maintain the state, which involves the compliance of the people. Therefore, Machiavelli advocates that being feared is more dependable. Although, he is not prescribing violence, it is only in the interest of the state, which demonstrates human nature and …show more content…

Machiavelli’s advice is there for the people who hold power and exposes the truth in human nature. However, although Machiavelli opens up the honesty of humanity; he teaches that there are a lot of people who are not good, so one must also learn to not be good. The thing that is wrong with this is that evil does not combat with evil. Evil can not conquer evil, good conquers. Therefore, The Prince explores the reality of human nature as self-interested and wicked. Machiavelli deliberately tells the reader the choices of someone holding a power may face, and the environment power gives rise to alters the way the person may act. A choice can change the

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Then for Machiavelli he talks about how a prince should show no fear instead for him to show that he is the one with power. That a prince's people should fear him. Both authors go on to talk on how their people react based on the prince and princesse act. The authors then go on to explain how they should view and run their people. Both authors also reflect the fact that the way their people are going to act towards them is mainly based off of how they treat them.

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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

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Machiavelli wrote about a fictitious prince, describing how he is a terrible being who has no respect for people who have a lower status than him. He is described as being selfish and untrustworthy. His writing about this prince was supposed to replicate princes and kings that were ruling and open he reader’s eyes to real issues occuring. In Document 1 there is an excerpt from The Prince, written by Machiavelli, telling about how terrible the Prince of England. Document 1 states, “For all men in general this observation may be made: they are ungrateful, fickle, and deceitful, eager to avoid dangers, and avid for gain, and while you are useful to them they are all with you, but when it [danger] approaches they turn on you”.

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