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Machiavelli's Ruler Qualities

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What qualities and ideas make a good ruler? Machiavelli was very blunt about his ideas on how people should be ruled in general. The popular consensus of his ideas was very negative during the time he wrote “The Prince”. Machiavelli made it seem like his goals were only focused on maintaining rule of the people. He didn’t care how the populace may feel or if they were happy or not, just if the ruler could keep them in check. Machiavelli’s ides were not wicked, malicious or evil; his ideas are based on facts on how to accomplish goals of maintaining order and doing what needs to be done. Machiavelli’s asks the question “How best can a ruler maintain control of his state?” His ideas were not based on emotion or empathy. Instead theory for government …show more content…

Is that wicked? No. Machiavelli states only facts on how to accomplish goals. He writes a manual with step by step instructions on performing tasks which can’t be wicked or malicious. The truth may hurt, but it’s still the truth can cannot be argued with, even if there are people who don’t like it. People aren’t going to be happy all the time. What is more important safety or happiness? Machiavelli more concerned with the life of a city than the people within. If citizens are unhappy but they are protected from harm, than that is more important. What would be the purpose of happiness if you can defend …show more content…

He states that virtue is an abstract concept and because of that it doesn’t have any real world consequences. Keeping that in mind virtue won’t be an adequate guide to being a politician. Machiavelli even defines it as receiving praise, not have a good moral compass. Doing what is morally right will gain you favor with the people that you’re ruling, but it may only last a short time if there are unforeseen consequences. A leader in charge of a large group of people needs to cast aside their personal moralities and think of the big picture. Not all people are meant to do this kind of work, but the job does have the requirement of making decisions that are not always morally sound. Governors will always have to make tough choices for the betterment of the state. There are easy examples that occur during war, especially in the modern world today. Most would say that taking a life is wrong, but what about if taking one life saves thousands. Decisions like these is what a leader has to make. It doesn’t make them an immoral person, but saying they also are not

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