Machiavelli The Prince Summary Chapter 23

1. When Machiavelli discusses that there are two kinds of combat, one with laws and one with force, what he is really talking about is that for a prince to be successful he must learn how to manage both. Machiavelli uses the lion and the fox example in order to make a metaphor out of the entire situation. A fox is cunning and smart and is therefore immune to traps. However, a fox cannot defend itself against a larger and more powerful animal such as a wolf — that’s where the lion comes in. A lion is not going to be as nimble and sly as a fox would be but it has the brute strength to strike fear into the animal kingdom. So how does this apply to politics? According to Machiavelli, the idea of using laws come naturally to men, for we are the
In chapter 23 of The Prince Machiavelli discusses how a prince should avoid flattery because possessing an ego makes you blind to potential snakes in the grass who could sneak in and be the downfall of your kingdom, but this chapter feeds into a larger topic of interest in The Prince which is that Machiavelli believes that everyday people, no matter what they may say, have the desire and thirst for power, even it goes against their moral beliefs. What Machiavelli is saying here is that deep down everyone has the propensity for evil. Most people would never out right admit that they would lie, cheat, and even kill, to gain power but according to Machiavelli, we all have that inside of us. There are numerous examples throughout The Prince that point to his belief that all men are created evil. But how do you resist it? Machiavelli is under the mistaken impression that people can prevent this from coming into their subconscious by following his set guidelines, that not only serve as a guide for becoming a prince but in some cases also serve as a guide for how to resist temptation. After reading The Prince, however, I disagree that people can resist challenges to their moral beliefs simply by following a few tricks Machiavelli laid