Machiavelli The Prince Summary Chapter 14

In chapter 7, Machiavelli talks about a prince who rose in power due to his own abilities. He sees Borgia as a model for all princely rulers. He was sent to look over this dynamic Duke by the Florence council to come up with another solution with Borgia about the connects with Florence. Borgia was very ruthless and ambitious. He contained a forceful personality that pleased other people who were around him. Borgia contains a lot of virtue but in the end, it was not enough to save him. He remained dependent on the power and influence of his father, Pope Alexander VI. In chapter 15, Machiavelli goes after the perceptions of virtue created by classical philosophers. He picks apart the idea of a good life. Machiavelli argues that metaphysics does
not fit within the real world. His definition of virtue is way different than the way classical philosophers perceive it. A prince that truly wishes to defend his state, will be forced to do things that are considered evil to other people. Machiavelli says when the princes behave badly they can use this knowledge to their advantage to maintain their power. He believes that since the princes are always in the public eye that their reputation will help or ruin their ability to keep power. The princes are advised to stay away from anyone who could ruin their appearance. In chapter 25, Machiavelli goes over the relationship of fortune and action in which helps determine the prince’s success. He also says it is better to be bold than to be timid because fortune is a woman, and to the man who wants to rule over her must treat her roughly.