the prince - 1022 Words

Niccolo Machiavelli The Prince In ‘The Prince’, Niccolo Machiavelli approaches, the topic of political morality and human nature in a very different way than thinkers preceding him. His argument on political morality and human nature is made very clear in the early part of his book. For him politics is war, no matter which way you look at it. â€Å"You must, therefore, know that there are two means of fighting: one according to the laws, the other with force; the first way is proper to man, the second to beasts; but because the first, in many cases is not sufficient , it becomes necessary to have recourse to the second.† (Machiavelli, p.351-352). He clearly points out towards man’s poor behavior in politics and†¦show more content†¦They will do anything for you but when you are in danger they turn against you. Machiavelli has little respect for the people, and he feels as though they have not earned much either. Machiavelli asserts that a number of traits are inherent in human nature. People are generally self-interested, although their affection for others can be won and lost. They are content and happy so long they are not victims of something terrible, becoming too comfortable in good times. They may be trustworthy in prosperous times, but they will quickly turn selfish, deceitful, and profit-driven in times of adversity. People admire honor, generosity, courage, and piety in others, but most of them do not exhibit these virtues themselves. Ambition is commonly found among those who have achieved some power, but most common people are satisfied with the status quo and therefore do not yearn for increased status. People will naturally feel a sense of obligation after receiving a favor or service, and this bond is usually not easily broken. Nevertheless, loyalties are won and lost, and goodwill is never absolute. While Machiavelli backs up his political arguments with concrete historical evidence, his statements about society and human nature sometimes have the character of assumptions rather than observations. He concludes that with so many wretched men around virtue is hard to createShow MoreRelatedThe Prince Of Machiavelli s Prince1186 Words   |  5 Pagesleader that wields his power the most like Niccolo Machiavelli’s Prince, from his book The Prince, that leader is President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation. Although, Putin does not hold the title of Prince, he has held influential positions throughout the years, i.e. Prime Minister and Acting President, that hold power similar to the Prince. Every position that Putin has held in Russia he has acted as if he were a Prince. Putin has held such all-consuming control and influence over RussiaRead MoreTotalitarianism In The Prince By Niccol Machiavellis The Prince934 Words   |  4 PagesIn our world, most societies support governments that work in a righteous way, but how can acting righteously be effective in a chaotic world full of crime and war?   In the novel The Prince by Niccolà ³ Machiavelli, a dystopian societ y is defined as an illusion of a perfect government which is maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, and totalitarian control. This illusion fades however, once one recognizes how these actions beneficially impact a society by uniting and protecting the country. ThroughoutRead More The Prince Essay1200 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"All the states, all the dominions, under whose authority men have lived in the past and live now have been and are either republics or principalities.† In Machiavelli’s, The Prince, timeless keys to a successful principality are examined. The keys are understanding human nature, respecting that nature, and reaffirming that successful leadership can exist in the same fashion yesterday, today, and tomorrow. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Machiavelli’s perspective of human nature is foundedRead More The prince Essay1526 Words   |  7 Pages Niccolo Machiavelli’s â€Å"The Prince† attempts to explain the necessary tactics and required knowledge a ruler must attain in order to gain and maintain a successful reign. The novel serves as an abstract manual, addressing the definition of a good/bad ruler by placing emphasis on the required military organization, the character a ruler must posses, and the success that could be attained if a ruler should follow the guide. The scope in which the book is written is that of a scholarly observant. MachiavelliRead MoreThe Prince, By Machiavelli1517 Words   |  7 PagesIn The Prince, Machiavelli doesn’t hesitate to recommend that a ruler employ conventionally immoral methods against his own subjects to maintain authority over them, but he does imply that whatever a ruler does should ultimately benefit the community. A Princeâ⠂¬â„¢s actions may be cruel, manipulative, or otherwise immoral, but they put him in the position to govern. On occasion, Machiavelli even suggests that gaining power through immoral acts is the best way to improve a community because immoralityRead More Prince Hamlet Versus Machiavellis Prince Essay1003 Words   |  5 PagesPrince Hamlet Versus Machiavellis Prince  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚         The Prince is a celebrated and highly controversial piece of work by the Italian aristocrat Niccolo Machiavelli. His work is a summation of all the qualities a prince must have in order to remain in his position. Machiavelli supports the idea that a prince use his power for the ultimate benefit of all, but he also does not condemn the use of any unpleasant means in order for the prince to maintain his power. His ideas both compare and contrastRead More The Prince Essay1043 Words   |  5 Pages The Prince nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Governing countries and states properly has been a difficult task from the beginning of time. In every country there will be people to who are unhappy and will disagree with your rule, causing your system to fail. So, century after century, people have tried new ways to make their politics suffice everyone’s needs. However, the art of politics is a complicated and challenging issue that will always be needed to be dealt with. There have been many ways inRead MoreThe Prince Machiavelli Analysis1490 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout The Prince, Machiavelli advocates for the use of force to achieve the Prince’s goals. However, these acts are justified because they are done to benefit the state. Moreover, Machiavelli’s political philosophy repetitively stresses the fact that the Prince should not act in a way as to cause hatred. In this, constant cruelty is inappropriate and unjustifiable because it provokes contempt towards the ruler. In The Prince, Machiavelli discerns that good acts of cruelties â€Å"are carried outRead MoreNiccolo Machiavellis The Prince810 Words   |  3 Pages Niccolo Machiavelli’s most famous book, The Prince, contains the most valid information for a prince, a president, and even a king, to keep hold of their own power. Machiavelli tells about the importance and power of political action, his opinions, and most of all philosophy at it’s finest. Throughout the twenty-six chapters of this book he describes the bold, brave, practical, and powerful prince and how the prince’s life should be lived. Machiavelli’s view of human nature is used as justificationRead MoreMachiavelli And The Apology Of The Prince1718 Words   |  7 Pages Machiavelli writes The Prince centuries after Plato documents Socrates in Crito and The Apology. Despite the different time periods, both Machiavelli and Socrates experience times of turmoil where the concept of democracy was questioned. However, the different time periods cause the views and purposes of Machiavelli’s writing to largely differ from Socrates. Machiavelli w rites in a time of turmoil where Italy was a bunch of small, fragmented states and when the Medici’s struggled to regain