The Prince

Is it better for a ruler to be feared or loved..?

eBook DESCRIPTION

Said to be a ?teacher of evil? Niccolo Machiavelli?s The Prince has lasted well beyond its 1532 audience. Asking the tradition question ?whether it is better for a ruler to be feared or loved? Niccolo Machiavelli?s answer still sparks controversy. What lessons can we learn from Italy?s past history of tyrannical rule, as each of us struggles to rule over our own personal kingdoms today?

eBook TAGS

Tyrannical Rule, Greatness, Political Strategy, Political Science, Political Philosophy, Fortune, Virtue, War, Human Nature, Power, Florence Italy History, Military Art, Political Ethics

eBook EXCERPT or SYNOPSIS

Machiavelli composed The Prince as a practical guide for ruling (though some scholars argue that the book was intended as a satire and essentially a guide on how not to rule). This goal is evident from the very beginning, the dedication of the book to Lorenzo de? Medici, the ruler of Florence. The Prince is not particularly theoretical or abstract; its prose is simple and its logic straightforward. These traits underscore Machiavelli?s desire to provide practical, easily understandable advice.
The first two chapters describe the book?s scope. The Prince is concerned with autocratic regimes, not with republican regimes. The first chapter defines the various types of principalities and princes; in doing so, it constructs an outline for the rest of the book. Chapter III comprehensively describes how to maintain composite principalities?that is, principalities that are newly created or annexed from another power, so that the prince is not familiar to the people he rules. Chapter III also introduces the book?s main concerns?power politics, warcraft, and popular goodwill?in an encapsulated form.
Chapters IV through XIV constitute the heart of the book. Machiavelli offers practical advice on a variety of matters, including the advantages and disadvantages that attend various routes to power, how to acquire and hold new states, how to deal with internal insurrection, how to make alliances, and how to maintain a strong military. Implicit in these chapters are Machiavelli?s views regarding free will, human nature, and ethics, but these ideas do not manifest themselves explicitly as topics of discussion until later.
Chapters XV to XXIII focus on the qualities of the prince himself. Broadly speaking, this discussion is guided by Machiavelli?s underlying view that lofty ideals translate into bad government. This premise is especially true with respect to personal virtue. Certain virtues may be admired for their own sake, but for a prince to act in accordance with virtue is often detrimental to the state. Similarly, certain vices may be frowned upon, but vicious actions are sometimes indispensable to the good of the state. Machiavelli combines this line of reasoning with another: the theme that obtaining the goodwill of the populace is the best way to maintain power. Thus, the appearance of virtue may be more important than true virtue, which may be seen as a liability.
The final sections, Chapters XXIV?XXVI, of The Prince link the book to a specific historical context: Italy?s disunity. Machiavelli sets down his account and explanation of the failure of past Italian rulers and concludes with an impassioned plea to the future rulers of the nation. Machiavelli asserts the belief that only Lorenzo de? Medici, to whom the book is dedicated, can restore Italy?s honor and pride.
Analysis: Machiavelli begins by offering a short defense of why he, an ordinary citizen, should know more than rulers about the art of ruling. He uses a metaphor to justify himself: a person standing on a mountain is best positioned to survey the landscape below, and a person standing below is best positioned to survey the mountain. Similarly, writes Machiavelli, ?to comprehend fully the nature of people, one must be a prince, and to comprehend fully the nature of princes one must be an ordinary citizen.? Implicit in this claim is the idea that the removed perspective of an observer is a more reliable guide than practical experience, and a better means of improving the art of ruling.
The dedication gives the reader an idea of Machiavelli?s intended audience. Though the book has a scholarly tone, it is not for fellow scholars. The Prince is meant to advise, instruct, and influence the minds of rulers. It was, originally, a kind of practical ?how-to? guide for aspiring princes. Only later did The Prince become regarded as an important treatise on political philosophy.