Machiavelli: The Realist Political realism did not become a popular concept until it was discussed by Niccolò Machiavelli‚ making him one of the most influential philosophers. According to another philosopher‚ Francis Bacon‚ Machiavelli was “the founder of a new‚ objective science of politics‚ concerned not with what should be‚ but with what is‚ not with hopes and fears‚ but with practical realities” (Wootton XXXVII). Machiavelli’s handbook for princes‚ titled The Prince‚ takes the world as it
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Chapters IIV - THE PRINCE Summary Chapter I: The Kinds of Principalities and the Means by Which They Are Acquired Machiavelli describes the different kinds of states‚ arguing that all states are either republics or principalities. Principalities can be divided into hereditary principalities and new principalities. New principalities are either completely new or new appendages to existing states. By fortune or strength‚ a prince can acquire a new principality with his own army or with the arms
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3310-Christina Hughes 10/22/13 Machiavelli: The Prince In The Prince‚ Machiavelli introduced a completely different idea of what is a stable government and his definition of what virtue is compared to previous philosophers such as Thucydides‚ Socrates‚ etc. Previous‚ classical philosophers associated virtue with the good in life. In their eyes‚ a virtuous man is an honorable man. In The Republic of Plato‚ Socrates defines virtue as doing something well and in The Prince Machiavelli defines virtue as your
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forced to grant that his (Machiavelli’s) teaching is diabolical and he himself a devil‚ we are forced to remember the profound theological truth that the devil himself is a fallen angel. - Leo Strauss‚ “Thoughts on Machiavelli” (1958: 13) The sheer infamy Niccolo Machiavelli has drawn to himself in the five centuries since he wrote The Prince underscores the fact that he was no political infant. On the contrary‚ he has been called‚ amongst other things‚ a ‘great sinner’ (Dostoevsky‚ cited in
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the state. The best interests of the prince are gaining‚ maintaining‚ and expanding his political powers or views. Since the prince is the sole authority‚ he has the power over everything and everyone. Machiavelli speaks about this in his books The Prince and The Discourses. In The Prince‚ Machiavelli concerned about the principality of the state and the Prince’s role within the sovereign state. “Men worry less about doing an injury to one who makes himself loved than to one who makes himself feared
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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
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Machiavelli: The Prince The author‚ Niccolo Machiavelli‚ in The Price‚ comes across as someone who is different from other political theorists because his theory contradicts what most humanists believe. During that time period humanistic theorists believed that individuals not just a ruler made a difference. Machiavelli believed the opposite; he believed that no matter what is or should be done‚ there is a reason to expect that it will be. As stated by the author‚ “for how we live is so far
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Machiavelli was born on May 3‚ 1469 in Florence‚ Italy. Florence was considered one of the most dominant Italian power to conquer. It was the main attraction for the renaissance’s influences. Throughout the years‚ Machiavelli’s presence was around the time that both the French and Spanish armies were fighting over the control of Italy. During this time‚ Italy was falling apart because it was deficient in leadership. Machiavelli served 14 years as Chancellor of Florence before he was exiled in
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Machiavelli wanted leaders to be both fearful but at the same time‚ he wants them to be loving and caring. They should keep a balance between these two traits to be a successful leader. Machiavelli says‚ “Here a question arises: whether it is better to be loved than feared‚ or the reverse. 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 loved. .
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“The Prince‚” Machiavelli explores the characteristics of an ideal leader and offers practical advice on a variety of matters associated with one’s rise to power. Characteristically‚ his arguments are straightforward and rational and he frequently employs historical evidence to strengthen them. One profound hypothesis presents itself in Chapter VIII of this political discourse in which Machiavelli focuses on the necessary evil of cruelty in a position of leadership. Machiavelli quickly acknowledges
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