This is a significant analysis of Niccolo Machiavelli’s book The Prince. This book explores multiple concepts on leadership and governance for a Prince to legislate on his road to success. Therefore, I will bring a compelling conclusion on how Russian President Vladimir Putin is a modern Machiavelli. To get a full understanding towards Niccolo Machiavelli’s political theory, we must first examine what’s managed to inspire his view of an ideal government. In the book, The Prince, Machiavelli introduces insightful claims on how the Roman Empire’s legitimacy brought a secure and stable society. In fact, presenting the Roman Empire’s platform helped the reader to thoroughly understand Machiavelli’s political theory regarding governance and the…
Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince examines how to acquire and maintain power of a nation. Machiavelli states that nations are either republics or principalities. The four types of principalities are hereditary, new, mixed and ecclesiastical. Hereditary principalities occur when the prince inherits the nation from his ancestors. Hereditary states experience fewer difficulties compared to newer states because they are accustomed to the family of the prince. New Principalities are acquired either by the power of others, one’s own power, luck, or ability. New Principalities are either accustomed to the rule of a prince or was a free state. When a prince conquers a free state it threatens the people’s lifestyle and customs. Therefore, the people…
Napoleon Bonaparte is a well known political leader of the modern world. His conquests into other European countries and his military knowledge make him the historical legend that he has come to be. He made himself emperor of France and ended the French Revolution. Bonaparte’s successes in France cause him to be revered as a great leader who exemplifies Niccolò Machiavelli’s beliefs regarding the leadership of a country. Machiavelli offers advice to political leaders in his novel, The Prince, which is proven relevant through Napoleon’s ability to be war-minded, feared, and a good leader.…
Machiavelli was an author and an aspiring political figure who had a strong influence on several aspects of Europe’s government. Due to his critical writings in The Prince, many historians see Machiavelli as a cruel and diabolical political figure whose true intentions were to gain power for himself. However, after looking further into Machiavelli’s political past, one can see that Machiavelli is in fact an intelligent man who possesses a hidden motive to write his novel. In his work, he covered several topics that were used by future city-state leaders to help them become successful. Machiavelli proves to be an astute political mind who used his political experience to assess the actions of famous princes and to write The Prince as a noteworthy…
The prince may gain power, but not glory. He gains esteem and glory through his courage. He must have wisdom to choose the least risky venture and act on it courageously and wisdom in picking his advisors. It is extremely important to gain the support of the people because you will need it in times of trouble. It also takes that same courage and wisdom to keep up the morale of his people during those troubled times. That is why a prince needs to relate to his people. He does not have to be loved by the people, but he must not be hated and should always be respected. However, Machiavelli makes a powerful case that it is better for a leader to be feared than loved. He feels that men respond more strongly to fear than love. Fear is constant, but love of the people can easily change. The prince cannot make people love him, but he has control over his people’s fear of him. Therefore, the course of action that the prince can best control is what he should pursue. In answering the question of whether it is better to be loved than feared, Machiavelli writes, “The answer is, of course, that it would be best to be both loved and feared. But since the two rarely come together, anyone compelled to choose will find greater security in being feared than in being…
"The state is the highest achievement of man, a progressive and elaborate creation of his free will. The individual, the leader, the people, cooperate in maintaining it." This idea of state was put forth by Niccolo Machiavelli in The Prince, which was in essence a ruler's handbook to governing and maintaining his land. Machiavelli conjured his theories for government by basing his ideas in his belief that men, especially men in power, tend to follow the same directions, and therefore by looking at past leaders and their follies we can better determine how to run a state. "Men are always the same and are animated by the same passions that lead them fatally to the same decisions, acts, an results . That one can foresee the course of political development by mediating upon the cycles and phases of historical events, and that essential to a statesman is not only the experience of modern events and constant study of the past. But also the ability to exploit this knowledge in actual political actions."…
The question of whether to be a loved or feared leader can make a person question on which viable choice is the most suitable for a leader. The Prince, written by 14th century Italian writer Niccoli Machiavelli answers this question (in chapter 17), the concept of whether to be feared or love is answered by Machiavelli, and that is fear. The answer of why fear is the better option is detailed as a set of guidelines which come in the form of authority, public emotion, and logical reasoning, stated by Machiavelli that to be a good (not a kind one) must be both ruthless but reasonable. A ruler cannot be too kind, less they be taken advantage of or to cruel, and be killed for punishing those that follow them, to become a good ruler they have to…
According to Niccolo Machiavelli, in his first chapter of “The Prince,” princedoms, states can be either republics or princedoms and these last ones can be either acquired new which I suppose by conquest or power, or they could be inherited by a prince’s ancestors. The 1500s were still times where there were many kings and princes all over europe and the world. But it was also a time where many republics were born, or they were young and growing republics. When Machiavelli said “...and he who acquires them does so either by his own arms or by the arms of others, and either by good fortune or by merit” to me, this means that princes--or mercenaries since it says “..or by the arms of others..” --had to fight for these lands, which they could only conquer if they were lucky or by the effort they put into their conquests.…
The foundation of Machiavellian thinking is that man is basically selfish by nature, hence comes its conclusions.…
Around 1513 Niccolo Machiavelli while writing "The Prince" would not be considered a theologian. When thinking of Machiavelli many people confuse him together with the names of rulers who have abused his writings. It also seems other people confuse Machiavelli with the rapper who took his name. Either- way people confuse Machiavelli it seems they fail to look at his true message, bettering the state and the greater good. Machiavelli may seem evil to some but his political theory properly applied is optimal for founding a state, establishing and then maintaining order.…
In Machiavelli’s work called The Prince he brings up several life style choices that are very controversial even to this day. In his chapter 17, he labeled “Cruelty and Mercy: Is It Better to be Feared or the Reverse?” brings up a major controversial issue among modern leaders. Several leaders come to mind when thinking of using love to govern and using fear to govern. Some leaders use it in a good way and others not so much. But which is better? Did Machiavellie have a preference? In his work, he mentions, “I say that every sensible prince wishes to be considered merciful and not cruel.” (ch.17 p1) So it seems as though Machiavelli did have a preference but did it always work out in life is the question.…
In an era of continental invasion, the problem of ensuring political stability within the context of European realpolitik is addressed in Machiavelli’s The Prince. Niccolo Machiavelli was born on May 3, 1469 and grew up in Florence, which was a humanist city-state right in the center of the Renaissance. Machiavelli’s father, as a Tuscan, who was both an attorney and humanist, focused heavily on his education hired private tutors to teach Machiavelli. According to his father, Machiavelli, like other Tuscans, was a bright individual who was steeped in classical history while growing up, learned Latin at the age of seven, and later wrote his own compositions in Latin1. Moreover, Machiavelli read Cicero’s Philippics and Livy’s history, both of which influenced him greatly. Upon the fall of the Medici family in 14942, France realized how easy it was to take over these city-states because of Florence’s lack of standing army. Due to the support of France, Medici’s rule of Florence fell and Florence, under the rule of Machiavelli, becomes a Republic until 1512. From this point onwards, France continues to act like a shadow that hung over Italian politics until Florence allying with Spain eventually drove them out.…
Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian statesman and political philosopher. He lived in Florence, Italy during the 1400’s. During that time period the country of Italy was divided into states which had their own leaders, but controlled by a king. Greatest leaders were needed during the time in order to develop the states and the country. Machiavelli’s theory was that man needs to be a perfect leader to control men,…
In the passage from The Prince, Machiavelli discusses the idea of leaders coming into power through “popular favour”, where in order to maintain this, they must ensure that the people feel as though they are not oppressed. If one is starting their reign with the support of the public, this leaves them with the responsibility of keeping the people involved in their political decisions and maintain a democracy instead of a dictatorship . This comes into context through Machiavelli’s political background, as he had worked for the government, and later dedicated The Prince to Lorenzo de’ Medici, the ruler of Florence. The Medici family had a longstanding succession of rulers, with Lorenzo coming into rule in 1469, with the majority support from…
Throughout history many rulers and princes have strived to become great and be better than the one before him. Machiavelli states, “Therefor it is necessary for a prince, who wishes to maintain himself, to learn how not to be good.” (Page 523) Clearly, the author has points that revel his outlook on being a successful prince and how not to be. Machiavelli believes that the ruling prince should be the sole authoritian determining every aspect of the state. However, Machiavelli did not believe that a prince should mistreat his citizens, as stated by Machiavelli, “I say that every prince must desire to be considered merciful and not cruel.” There will be challenges that the Prince will face and have the responsibility of making his state contempt to avoid war. People are generally self-absorbed, despite what they may perceive. They might be trustworthy, but can turn in adverse times. If man has ambition, nothing will compromise that trust, but the issue lies in knowing that most people are comfortable with the way things are, so therefore they do not seek…