...his book “The Prince”, Machiavelli was teaching a young ruler how to hold on to his power in a time of political instability. He did not advocate random, self-serving cruelty, such as the acts that Macbeth performs. He instead suggested that one take charge by making an example of a few enemies or rebellious citizens, and then slowly begin to reward those who are loyal: "Injuries must be inflicted all together so that, swallowed less, they injure less, and benefits have to be bestowed little by little so that they can be savored better." Machiavelli clearly believed that fear alone could not help a prince to stay in power. He knew that ideally, the people would support their leader out of love. However, this is another way his ideas have...
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...The Prince, written by Machiavelli, was a guide for all the rulers of his time who wanted to become major powers and to find all the solutions to their political problems. In his book, Machiavelli mentions a great amount of key points that guide rulers to the road of success. One of the key aspects that Machiavelli talks about is fate and how it effects the decisions of a ruler. The following paragraphs will discuss how human affairs are governed by fate, and how fate can be contested. During Machiavelli's time, it was commonly thought that events were ruled by fate and by God only. Not only that, but men could do nothing to stop or protect themselves from those events. Machiavelli did believe in fate, but he did not believe in the fact the fate controlled all events that occurred to mankind. If that were so then princes would rule by chance. This is proven when Machiavelli states I am not unaware that many have held and hold the opinion that the events are controlled by fortune…cause of this, they would conclude that there is no point in sweating over things, but that one should submit to the rulings of chance. (Machiavelli, pg.79) Machiavelli argued that fate controlled one half a person's life but the other half was governed by the people themselves. Machiavelli strongly suggests that princes are fortunate when fate and time are in harmony with their procedures, but things fall apart when things begin to change and the princes do not attempt to adapt to the changes. Machiavelli...
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...The work from which Machiavelli gains his reputation most, The Prince, was written as a guideline for stability in society, but the very fact that it is inspired mainly by the foils of the hopeful, merciless Italian conqueror, Cesare Borgia,37 implies a lack of feasibility for Oppenheimer’s thesis. Similarly telling is the extent to which Machiavelli respects and praises the power-accumulating methods of Borgia during negotiations about future Florentine rule; Machiavelli, as per a primary sourced document, speaks highly of Borgia’s confidence and unwillingness to flinch, and of the ability he has to attract followers to coalesce around him as the centre of an ideology.38 Stemming from this approval, Machiavelli goes on to write in The Art of War about the need for militia rule within a society so that one’s societal involvement can be maximized and patriotism and unity affirmed for the stability of the community.39 Again, by using mostly unquestioned primary sources, most of Oppenheimer’s narrative does play into the hands of the counter-argument, as not only do his choices of...
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...The Power of Machiavelli’s The Prince Nowadays, it is politically impossible to commit to paper a “training guide” for leaders. There are innumerable detractors to any possible stance or strategy a leader might adopt. As a result of this, all “training” must take place behind closed doors, far from the prying eyes and ears of the news media or the public. But this has not always been the case. The Prince was one of the first humanist works of the Renaissance. Indeed it is a work of art, a literary masterpiece of sorts. Yet this work has been vehemently debated over the centuries and remains one of the most controversial pieces of writing today. (Nederman) Niccolò Machiavelli was brave enough to give the leaders of his day a how-to guide. In this work, The Qualities of a Prince, we are given a point-by-point description of what a leader should do to effectively lead his country. Machiavelli’s philosophy is basically to become a good leader you must do anything even it is immoral and wrong. He first writes that a prince’s duty concerning military matter must always think of war only, even in times of peace. They must know their surroundings exactly so they can defend and make effective strategies to counter the enemy’s attack. They must also know historical battles so they will be able to learn their tactics and improve on it. (Jacobus) Machiavelli explains that, because leadership is obviously a position of command, “war is the only profession which benefits one who commands...
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...Although Machiavelli’s writing, The Prince, may be directly aimed at describing the things a prince needs to do, it is also in a way describing the way that all humans should conduct themselves. The book may be influencing the princes, or it may be shaping the morals of those looking to gain power. If the normal men who are looking to gain power follow some of the guidelines that are laid out inside The Prince, they will have a better chance than those who continue to live life just as they have. Machiavelli paints a picture of a man, specifically a prince that is willing to do what is necessary to help the cause, even if it does not make them the most popular choice. In human nature, the question is often asked if one should have good character...
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...begun to change in terms of the way of thinking as it pertains to governing a state. An Italian author, Niccolò Machiavelli introduced his way of thinking by writing The Prince, which is often interpreted as a way to rule, or not to rule. He uses humanism to back up his views on how governing should be handled. Of course, the book was rejected by the Catholic Church, which believed in divine authority. In The Prince, Machiavelli expresses that people are actually responsible for their own actions rather than supernatural forces. This form of humanism was the beginning of the breaking away from the dogma of the Catholic Church. According to (Hunt, Martin and Rosenwein 459), Humanism originated during The Renaissance in Italy amongst highly educated individuals attached to the personal households of prominent rulers. It is defined as “a system of...
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...Adrianna Goodrich Hour 3 The Prince Essay In Machiavelli’s “The Prince” he approaches the question “Is it better to be feared or loved.” Love endures a bond which anyone can break to their advantage giving more reason for a leader to be feared. Any leader should be feared, because compassion destroys order, cruelty comes with a price, and love is limited. Sympathizing order leads to chaos. If you sympathize people and show them compassion they expect more. Caligula was a popular leader at first, because he freed citizens from imprisonment, and got rid of harsh sales tax. As shown he is compassionate towards his people. Once the people have less to do that piles more work for you. Being compassionate is okay, but not with order. Everyone needs rules to live or even a little guidance. Machiavellian is a word meaning craft and deceit to maintain authority and to carry out a ruler's policies. With maintaining order you need the right attitude to do so....
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...The Prince by Niccollo Machiavelli was written, apparently, to guide those in power at the time the book was written. It serves as a tool to keep any territory in order by addressing many types of establishments and predicaments a “prince,” or a ruler, could get into. It uses the successes and failures of famous and infamous rulers as evidence to correct the actions of some and to commend others. Some of the ideas, such as killing off anyone who conspires against you, clearly are brutal and inhumane. However, around the time Machiavelli wrote it, Europe warred against itself tumultuously. Any “princes” reading this book would have good reason to be violent, simply to defend themselves. The guidelines presented in The Prince may not be applicable...
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...The Prince illustrates the increasingly secular outlook of the Renaissance by describing the fortunes that were acquired during those times as a result of dubious politics. These fortunes are directed towards Lorenzo Medici, the prince this book is dedicated too, which basically is like a guidebook for how to be the greatest prince in all the land. Not only does The Prince describe the fortunes of the Renaissance, but also how to acquire these fortunes with strength and power. An important aspect of the Renaissance was the introduction of humanism, which is the belief that human beings are worthy of scrutiny and are genuinely good creatures with potential value. By reading The Prince, I felt that the sinister tactics of gaining absolute power...
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...modern thought, and many ideas were being formed, and discarded. Both Praise of Folly by Erasmus, and The Prince by Machiavelli were pivotal books that greatly shaped the course of the Renaissance and intellectual thought during this period. Erasmus primarily concerned himself with the sacred, and Machiavelli was more concerned with the secular. However, both authors agree that pure philosophy is a futile and aimless pursuit that deals mostly with insignificant and esoteric truths, and use practical examples to illustrate the failure of classical philosophy. Erasmus directly attacks...
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...“The Prince” by Niccolo Machiavelli is a widely known political piece written in the 16th century, known for its controversial instruction on how a prince should rule. In the excerpt, containing Chapters XV – XVIII, Machiavelli details what qualities a prince should aspire to possess, how generous a prince should be, how cruel a prince should be, and how one must balance honor and deceit. In the first chapter of the reading, Machiavelli discusses what sort of man a prince should aim to become. A prince, like every man, will desire to be perfect, to possess every good trait known to man and to have no flaws. While idealistic, this is not possible. Instead, a prince must strive to adopt as many good characteristics as he can, while avoiding those that would eventually cause him to lose his kingdom. Even certain wrongdoing should not be avoided, as sometimes this wrongdoing is critical in keeping what is yours....
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...When analysing Virtu and Gloria in Machiavelli’s The Prince one must take into account that there is no clear definition of Virtu, despite this, one can infer its meaning due to its heavy recurrence in The Prince. Virtu is seen as such an important concept in the Prince, that the Prince himself becomes a personification of Virtu. Through Virtu we gain an understanding of Gloria. Gloria being the fundamental goal of being a Prince, obtained through ones Virtu. This is where we can begin to understand the relationship between the two. Virtu and Gloria for Machiavelli are means of understanding human nature, which are in line with Roman historians who hold the belief that man pursues worldly glory, posthumous fame, and riches, (Gloria). Resulting in the view that as a Prince you most certainly cannot trust humans – your subjects, and consequently if you act in the confines of the law, you are most likely to be destroyed, meaning the Prince must analyse a situation and decide the best way of proceeding (Virtu). Here we can see how the two are mutually exclusive, one cannot exist without the other. Virtu being the means and skills the Prince must acquire to achieve and Gloria being the end goal and consequences of those actions. Machiavelli departs...
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...first glance, it is curious that Machiavelli, a committed Florentine republican, would write both The Prince and Discourses. Upon closer look, perhaps they are not incompatible. Argue how and why the ideas and values of the two texts complement one another. Niccolo Machiavelli can be described as a cunning critic of political reason. He is the famous author of two books about politics, The Prince and Discourses.The Prince is concerned with autocratic or monarchical regimes with flexible morals , where it is necessary to maintain public favor to retain power.Which favor or support is advised to be maintained using limited generosity , appearing religious ,not persecuting citizens and decisiveness.In the Discourses, Machiavelli extolls the virtues of a republic.The theme of Discourses is that popular rule is always better than that of princes.Emphasizing a strong role for the populace, Machiavelli suggests that political debate and conflict with the appropriate balance of power can actually serve to strengthen a state. As with the Prince he maintains a...
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...Most people think that the world is a Wheel of Fortune and we have no choice other than staying passive to its consequences. Machiavelli employs “fortune” in The Prince in a very distinct way. He suggests that despite the inevitable power of fortune, humans can resist it. He proposes two analogies for understanding the human situation in the face of events. Fortune is analogized as a ruinous river or a woman who likes young and aggressive men. Throughout my paper, I will argue how Machiavelli’s depiction of Lucrezia in The Mandrake Root is an allegorical equivalent to the discussion of fortune as a woman in chapter 25 of The Prince. The first parable between discussion of fortune as a woman and the depiction of Lucrezia arises when Machiavelli states that “Fortune is the arbiter of one half of our actions, but that she still leaves the control of the other half, or almost...
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...A sovereign can have motivated followers and an advantageous mindset and still be disassembled by the public. In the words of Niccolò Machiavelli in his book The Prince, “A leader doesn’t have to possess all the virtuous qualities I’ve mentioned, but it’s absolutely imperative that he seems to possess them … It’s seeming to be virtuous that helps” (Machiavelli 95). People distrust those who seem immoral because they have been taught from a young age that they’re capable of committing horrible acts. Ironically this can lead to a leader being turned on by the very people who were originally on their side. Someone who is immoral is more likely to stab people in the back and therefore cannot be trusted. Consequently, leaders risk losing their positions if they display bad morals. Otherwise, they could...
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