Machiavelli And Renaissance

The Renaissance is known for being a rebirth of ancient Greek and Roman ideas. Many historians believe it is filled with literature similar to previous works simply retelling the same story. Niccolò Machiavelli took various ideas from ancient political literature, mainly drawing from Plato’s Republic. Next, he set out to write his own political work known as The Prince. This piece of literature is considered a handbook for political leadership. He wanted to be in politics, although could not, thus writing with regards to politics was a close second. The Prince is the uttermost influential work in the Renaissance era as it advocated for a shift in leader’s virtues such as being ethical when needed and putting others before oneself.
Machiavelli
believed a leader should separate ethics and politics. He suggests a leader should not strive to be known as a liberal, following it up with the fact he would be necessitated continue to be liberal to preserve the title. Some taxpayers of the US are horrified at the upcoming idea of free college tuition being they believe college should be earned identical to previous generations. They argue that the government pays for college through the military with the GI bill, which was introduced post 9/11 to pay for a veteran’s college, and believe these less fortunate should “work for their college” paralleling everybody else. These taxpayers also hate similar ideas such as food stamps, or other government implemented ways of support for the lower class. Niccolò wrote, “I mean that he should seem compassionate . . . and do it skillfully” (Machiavelli 2539). He said this to express an example of how ethics should be separate from politics. To be an exceptional politician, one needs to be able to carry out mischievous deeds when needed, yet if the people found out they would fulminate against his actions. Some US citizens scorn one of the 2016 presidential candidates, Donald Trump, for being a businessman and laying off numerous people for his profit. The people against Trump believe he’s unethical, which is why Machiavelli suggests merely appearing to have ethics in order to be admired. Machiavelli advocates for the separation of ethics and politics considering a leader would get impeded with being ethical preventing him from accomplishing his intent.
In addition to the separation of ethics and politics, Niccolò discusses the notion of the aggregate’s wants and needs, as in the country, being greater than the leader’s wants and needs.
In Christopher Nolan’s popular movie, Batman Begins, the antagonist tells Bruce Wayne, “If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, you become something else entirely. A legend, Mr. Wayne,” this captures what Machiavelli had in mind in terms of a leaders virtues ("Ra's Al Ghul Quotes”). This is an vital way of seeing a leader in that nearly all leaders were selfish and did whatever to aid themselves. However, Nolan captures the epitome of Machiavelli’s ideas by suggesting he devote himself to a belief, essentially setting the standard for how other leaders should act. He wrote this believing that if the country believed their leader had these virtues, they would build a trust for him. The confidence of his people would enable him to go behind their backs to enact what is necessary for their prosperity. Niccolò mentions a leader who conquered and salvaged resources from another country to award out to his own as being acceptable. This contrasts liberal ideas on the grounds that if a leader took from his own subjects and “spread the wealth”, those he took from would not be contented. If he took from somewhere else and later redistributed the property, people would consider it similar to a bonus. Machiavelli wrote, “It is therefore necessary . . . when he is
obliged to,” to show that a leader cannot be prude (Machiavelli 2529). President Truman would be an excellent example of this as he is the one who gave the approval to drop nuclear bombs on Japan during World War II. Obviously killing hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens is not a moral decision, nevertheless Truman believed the war could not be stopped without making the decision. Machiavelli would have seen this action as justified since it accomplished the goal of settling the war, concluding a chance of additional innocent lives being lost. A leader should put his country before himself for the sake of protecting the integrity of his people.
The Prince is the most influential work in the Renaissance era seeing it taught leaders to not worry regarding ethics in politics and to devote his motives towards assisting his country. Machiavelli’s ideas are known still as unique and revolutionary today as they were in the Renaissance.