Machiavelli influences the modern political science we still use today, and continue to pathe his paths. His book, The Prince uses Renaissance values and applies them to politics, intriguing most everyone. His book targets powerful men, teaching them how to gain and maintain power. “It is not al all necessary for a prince to have all the good qualities which I have named, but it is necessary to seem to have them” (Machiavelli). Although Machiavelli gained his power, not every man can, so Machiavelli is saying that in order to become an idol, you just have to project the idea of power.
Machiavelli influences the modern political science we still use today, and continue to pave his paths. His book, The Prince uses Renaissance values and applies them to politics, intriguing most everyone. His book targets powerful men, teaching them how to gain and maintain power. “It is not al all necessary for a prince to have all the good qualities which I have named, but it is necessary to seem to have them” (Machiavelli). Although Machiavelli gained his power, not every man can, so Machiavelli is saying that in order to become an idol, you just have to project the idea of power.
According to Machiavelli, “One morning he assembled the people and senate of Syracuse, as if he had to discuss with them things relating to the Republic, and at a given signal the soldiers killed all the senators and the richest of the people; these dead, he seized and held the princedom of that city without any civil commotion” (Machiavelli, 1515, p. 38). In other words, this shows that intelligence and skill are important to be a leader; however, it is not necessary to be cruel just because fortune was not the reason why the person became a prince. My idea is that if a prince is intelligence he will not rush during difficult times, and he will decide what to do for his state and citizens carefully. In addition, the skills that he has will help him with the army during wars. Therefore, he will be able to end up the disorder that surrounded his
“The Prince,” explains the political struggles of being ruled by callous leaders and power battles. “The Prince was written to show leaders how to gain and keep the power in government.” In his book, Machiavelli insists that leaders use any means needed to hold their political power. Even if it meant that the leader had to be cruel,
Hence, he uses personal pronouns like “you” and “I” as well as phrases like “My reply is.” This makes it seem like The Prince becoming famous was neither Machiavelli’s first priority nor real purpose; he simply wanted to express his knowledge on the western government and gives advice on how to be a strong leader. Also, some of his words sound like he was in grief. For instance, the sentence that says “But as soon as you need help, they turn against you.” It could be that he was disappointed or was betrayed that he decided to put together The Prince. In the book, Machiavelli believes in the idea of having a strong dominant leader, in order to preserve the benefits to the citizens as a group instead of individually. This strategy clearly shows in chapter seventeen where Machiavelli points out that every prince would prefer to be loved than to be feared.
He also believes that the world doesn 't reward those who follow rules, and that political actions should not be limited by morality: basically, humans inherently value nationalism and security which rely on moral flexibility. However, I believe Machiavelli is not a teacher of evil. Throughout the text in The Prince, Machiavelli admits that his prescription for success would not be accurate if it were not for the natural wickedness of man. He writes, “And if all men were good, this teaching would not be good; but because they are wicked and do not
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
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.
Machiavelli upholds that fear of a ruler is essential for the successful maintenance of a political order and that a prince should actively seek to cultivate an image of fear to maintain his power. According to Machiavelli, “when the prince is with his armies and has a multitude of soldiers under his government, then it is above all necessary not to care about a name for cruelty because without this name he never holds his army united or disposed to any action" (Machiavelli 67). Machiavelli promotes rulers practicing cruelty because it inspires fear in a ruler. Essentially, This fear makes his subjects easier to control because they fear the retribution the ruler may bring down upon them for disobeying one of his laws or
In The Prince, Machiavelli discusses that a prince should be generous, feared, and always keep his word. The statements mentioned by Machiavelli are words of advice for the prince to be as successful as possible during his time ruling. Although I myself am not a prince, I can analyze these statements using my own morals, which align with Machiavelli's point of view. When needed, the prince must take action to procure money, which could be done through raising tax prices excessively. According to Machiavelli, “This will begin to make him hateful to his subjects and, if he becomes impoverished, he will be held in low regard by everyone” (55).