...anything which I hold more dear than, or value so much as [my grade]… ” (Machiavelli 3). The Machiavellian Code of Conduct is based upon The Prince, a controversial non-fiction written by Machiavelli in a desperate attempt to find a place of security within a new principality. To find this security, Machiavelli presents a plethora of crucial rules to the prince, leading the prince to believe that he is in need of...
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...The subject matter: new princedoms (chapters 1 and 2) The Prince starts by describing the subject matter it will handle. In the first sentence Machiavelli uses the word "state" (Italian stato which could also mean "status") in order to neutrally cover "all forms of organization of supreme political power, whether republican or princely". The way in which the word state came to acquire this modern type of meaning during the Renaissance has been the subject of many academic discussions, with this sentence and similar ones in the works of Machiavelli being considered particularly important. Machiavelli said that The Prince would be about princedoms, mentioning that he has written about republics elsewhere (possibly referring to the Discourses on Livy although this is debated), but in fact he mixes discussion of republics into this in many places, effectively treating republics as a type of princedom also, and one with many strengths. More importantly, and less traditionally, he distinguishes new princedoms from hereditary established princedoms. He deals with hereditary princedoms quickly in Chapter 2, saying that they are much easier to rule. For such a prince, "unless extraordinary vices cause him to be hated, it is reasonable to expect that his subjects will be naturally well disposed towards him". Gilbert (1938:19–23), comparing to traditional presentations of advice for princes, stated that the novelty in chapters 1 and 2 is the "deliberate purpose of dealing with a new ruler...
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...Machiavelli Born on May 3, 1469, in Florence, Italy, Niccolò Machiavelli was a diplomat for 14 years in Italy's Florentine Republic during the Medici family's exile. When the Medici family came back to power in 1512, Machiavelli was dismissed and briefly imprisoned. Machiavelli as an individual has been described as aloof, as standing to one side of life ‘with a sarcastic expression continually playing around his mouth and winking from his eyes’. This report is based on Machiavelli’s most famous work, The Prince, which was written in 1513-14. While The Prince was not the foremost book of this kind, it was the first to propose a government that dominates with no respect for religious belief or morality. Machiavelli did not particularly pay heed to religious law in the manner he lived his life, but he likewise did not particularly care for the Catholic Church of the time because of the lack of ethics demonstrated by the Pope's and other supposedly "religious men's" actions at the time. The Prince, a handbook for politicians on the employment of ruthless, self-serving cunning, inspiring the term "Machiavellian" and establishing Machiavelli as the "father of modern political theory."(History.com) There are many types of leaderships that after being present over the centuries. Leadership styles have developed over time, with a prominent shift from the autocratic and directive leadership in the twentieth century to a more participative and democratic style of the younger generation...
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...comparison could be made between Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince and George Orwell’s Animal Farm. However many of the theories of leadership put forward in 1513 in The Prince can be found in Animal Farm. Those same ideas and theories can be applied to educational leaders and educational leadership to examine the morality of Machiavelli’s practices in education. This paper will compare and contrast leadership elements in both The Prince and Animal Farm. Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513. The purpose of The Prince was to record the knowledge that Machiavelli held in regards to leadership and power. Machiavelli lays out in details the ways in which a prince can come to power and how to maintain that power. The principles that Machiavelli put forth are straight forward with no sugar coating and often considered immoral. Orwell’s Animal Farm is in stark contrast to The Prince’s fiction. The novel is set on an English farm where the animals have taken over the farm from humans to rule it for themselves. The animals start out believing that the product of their labor will benefit only them and that all animals are to be treated equally. Over time one of the animals comes to power and emanates the human habits that lead to the overthrow of the humans in the first place. The work is satirical of the Communist Revolution and Stalinism. Orwell and Machiavelli present a united front in the portrayal of the non-ruling class. Machiavelli makes no apologies when he states “Men are so simple...
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...keeping with the themes of the Renaissance, Machiavelli recommended that a prince appear outwardly to be a shining example of virtue; that he was, in fact a deceitful and ruthless creature of vice ought to be carefully concealed. The Prince demonstrate roots in the fundamental principles of humanism however it explores humanist ideals as a tool to keep power rather than as a virtue in their own right. However when considering Machiavelli’s life and circumstances in addition to humanist ethics, the concepts expressed in The Prince can be easily explained. Machiavelli’s advice on how a prince should strive to appear to his subjects aligns almost perfectly with humanist values. In theory humanists placed importance on individual virtue and betterment, but oftentimes the mere appearance of such qualities was the true desire. The Book of the Courtier and The Prince are both books about power dynamics in Renaissance Italy. One focuses almost entirely on gaining power while the other is largely about maintaining it, but their basic ideas about the appearance which one must keep were the eerily similar. If a courtier was not a good writer he should “take pains to suppress his work, to avoid...
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...Running head: THE PRINCE The Prince Book Synopsis ########## University of ##### Dr. ##### #### 16, 20## The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli reveals an interesting perspective of leadership and ethics relating to how a prince should obtain land, control it and maintain it by any means necessary. In this book, Machiavelli provides a clear definition of the different types of states or principalities, recommendation on how to govern these principalities and how to expand a prince’s domain. Furthermore, he explains ways to evaluate the strong points and vulnerabilities of other principalities and concludes with the qualities or characteristics a prince should possess to maintain his status. Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this book is the suggestion Machiavelli gives about the characteristics a prince should develop in order to be successful, particularly the idea of responsibility, kindness or compassion, and the concept of trust or faith. This paper will focus on these key characteristics or qualities Machiavelli suggests a prince should possess and compare them with leadership based on character. Character based leadership suggests there is a direct correlation between character, ethics and how leadership is developed. It is based upon seven “classical virtues”, courage, faith, justice, prudence, temperance, love and hope. Each of these virtues describes a certain aspect of character and, when they become...
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...In The Prince, by Machiavelli, he discusses the nature of the prince, how he should arise to power if not inherited by blood, and the rules in which to rule his domain. He primarily wrote this for the sake of the Medici family who would later transcend history as an infamous banking family that produced not only a queen but two Pope’s. The contents of this book were extremely controversial and were not published until after Machiavelli’s death but to this day it still holds to some degree influential power. As a Prince one must appear to have righteous qualities such as mercy, kindness, faithful, etc. but that is only the outward appearance that he must give off. The Prince should always have the capabilities of doing evil, he must be able use these qualities without hesitation when the need arises. For example, in the case of generosity versus parsimony, he claims that being too generous will lead to his depreciation as well as loss of his own major resources, which will be needed to be made up for in taxes. While on the other hand, either discontinuing or limiting your generosity will not be good for your reputation. So the Prince would rather be more frugal than generous. Several other guidelines that an excellent Prince must follow is not that of what laws to pass or who to execute but that of the emotions. The Prince, Machiavelli claimed needed to be feared yet loved all at the same time. Fear keeps his people in place but taken too far and the people begin to hate you...
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...The Prince By Joel Plamthottahtil and Peter Martincek MBA 560 – Ethical Leadership and Sustainable Organizations Introduction Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian political philosopher, writer, and humanist who is recognized as the founder of modern political science and political ethics. Michaivelli was diplomat in Florence for 14 years but when the Medici family returned to power in 1512, Machiavelli was dismissed and briefly jailed. While in jail, he wrote a handbook called “The Prince”, which was a guide for politicians on how to rule. This book influenced the minds of other politicians, inspiring the term “Machiavellian” and establishing Machiavelli as the “father of modern political theory”. In “The Prince”, Machiavelli presented the question whether it is better to be loved or feared, which has been debated since the book came out. Machiavelli Background Machiavelli was born on the May 3, 1469 in Florence, Italy. The young Machiavelli always had the desire to occupy political office. In 1494 Machiavelli obtained a job as a diplomat after the Medici family was exiled from rule and held this post for 14 years. He also gave advice on military tactics, successfully organizing infantry forces in specific Italian campaigns and establishing a Florentine militia. Machiavelli was jailed in 1512 after unsuccessfully attempting to organize a Florentine militia against the Medici family, who had returned to power. While in jail, Machiavelli desperately wanted to...
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...Niccolò Machiavelli is a prominent civic humanist and political theorist of the 16th century. He served as an official of the Florentine Republic for many years following the French invasion of 1494, during which the Medici family fell from power. He had responsibilities in diplomatic missions and military affairs. This did not last long, however, as the Medici family soon regained control of Florence almost two decades later. Machiavelli was then arrested and tortured under accusations of plotting against the family. He was left without a job after his release and wrote various works during this newfound free time, his most famous being his political treatise, The Prince (1513). During the time Machiavelli wrote The Prince, Italy was not a unified country. Instead, it was a collection of city-states, each with its own court and ruler, each attempting to gain power over the others. Due to a lack of consolidation among its city-states, Italy also became a target for outside invaders and suffered from constant warfare. After the fall of the Medici in Florence, Machiavelli served as an ambassador and secretary to the Republic of Florence. When Florence fell into the hands of the Medici family once again, Machiavelli narrowly escaped execution and was exiled. Machiavelli lost his government position and disgraced in the countryside outside Florence. Machiavelli intended for this novel to be a sort of guide: a handbook for princes who have political power and wish to maintain it...
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...Machiavelli’s Advice to Princes on Gaining and Keeping Power in his ‘The Prince’ Machiavelli collected The Prince as a realistic show for decree. This target is apparent from the very start, the devotion of the volume to Lorenzo de’ Medici, the leader of Florence. This book is not mainly hypothetical or conceptual; its writing style is straightforward and its reason simple. This personality highlights Machiavelli’s wish to offer realistic, effortlessly comprehensible advice. All princes have to build on tough foundations. The two crucial components of a tough state are excellent laws and excellent armies. Excellent regulations cannot be real without excellent armies. The existence of an excellent military, on the other hand, indicates the existence of excellent laws. In addition to luck and competency, unlawful acts or the support of his fellow people can make possible a man’s rise to authority. Those who get into authority by sin kill fellow populace and become untrustworthy to friends. They are “traitorous, merciless, and earthly.” Princes who entrust unlawful acts can realize power, but not at all magnificence. Syracuse’s King Agathocles is for instance a man who came to domination through offense. Agathocles was a normal occupant who joined the equipped military, rose to a most important status in the militia, and after that he brought together a gathering of the governing body at which he structured his men to murder all the senators and to fit him in authority. Agathocles’...
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...Collectivity Mathukumilli Siddartha 1.At first glance, it is curious that Machiavelli, a committed Florentine republican, would write both The Prince and Discourses. Upon closer look, perhaps they are not incompatible. Argue how and why the ideas and values of the two texts complement one another. Niccolo Machiavelli can be described as a cunning critic of political reason. He is the famous author of two books about politics, The Prince and Discourses.The Prince is concerned with autocratic or monarchical regimes with flexible morals , where it is necessary to maintain public favor to retain power.Which favor or support is advised to be maintained using limited generosity , appearing religious ,not persecuting citizens and decisiveness.In the Discourses, Machiavelli extolls the virtues of a republic.The theme of Discourses is that popular rule is always better than that of princes.Emphasizing a strong role for the populace, Machiavelli suggests that political debate and conflict with the appropriate balance of power can actually serve to strengthen a state. As with the Prince he maintains a...
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...Bernardo dei Machiavelli (I3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527) was an Italian historian, philosopher, humanist, and writer based in Florence during the Renaissance. A founder of modern political science, he was a diplomat, political philosopher, playwright, and a civil servant of the Florentine Republic. He also wrote comedies, carnival songs and poetry. His personal correspondence is renowned in the Italian language. Strauss (1958:11) notes that "even if we were forced to grant that Machiavelli was essentially a patriot or a scientist, we would not be forced to deny that he was a teacher of evil" He wrote his masterpiece, The Prince, after the Medici had recovered power and he no longer held a position of responsibility in Florence. Believing that people were motivated by self-interest, Niccolò Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513 as advice for the city of Florence, Italy. Machiavelli recommended that leaders use fear—but not hatred—to maintain control. Machiavelli’s best-known book, "The Principe," contains a number of maxims concerning politics, but rather than the more traditional subject of a hereditary prince, it concentrates on the possibility of a "new prince." To retain power, the hereditary prince must carefully maintain the socio-political institutions to which the people are accustomed; whereas a new prince has the more difficult task in ruling, since he must first stabilize his new-found power in order to build an enduring political structure. The Prince is sometimes...
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...Niccolo Machiavelli played certain roles during the Renaissance Era. Machiavelli was known for his novel titled, The Prince. The novel explained the regulations and actions of how a prince should become a good ruler. Machiavelli’s novel concentrated it attention on knowing when to use your morals and when they should be put aside so you can keep your position intact. As Machiavelli had the mindset of what a ruler should be like, one particular ruler that comes to mind such as Joseph Stalin. Joseph Stalin epitomizes the ideas put forward by Machiavelli by depicting that being neutral is never an option, going to war, and having discipline. Joseph Stalin is a certain individual who made the Soviet Union a world superpower. Joseph Stalin is commonly known for his harsh ways and his leadership skills. At a tender age, Joseph Stalin felt he has been treated unfairly his entire life, as a result it led to the desire for greatness and respect in his future. In 1922 Joseph Stalin was appointed as the General Secretary of the Communist Party’s Central Committee. Stalin utilized this new position to overpower the less fortunate. Stalin’s tenure as dictator was so harsh that when Nikita Khrushchev took over in 1953 he started a policy of “de-Stalinization.” Stalin, having the utmost fear of being overthrown he executed some of his best medium ranked leaders. Machiavelli was noticed for Realpolitik, a political and judicial action that fits the circumstances but is not moral and...
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...Major themes in the Prince Statesmanship & Warcraft Machiavelli believes that good laws follow naturally from a good military. His famous statement that “the presence of sound military forces indicates the presence of sound laws” describes the relationship between developing states and war in The Prince. Machiavelli reverses the conventional understanding of war as a necessary, but not definitive, element of the development of states, and instead asserts that successful war is the very foundation upon which all states are built. Much of The Prince is devoted to describing exactly what it means to conduct a good war: how to effectively fortify a city, how to treat subjects in newly acquired territories, and how to prevent domestic insurrection that would distract from a successful war. But Machiavelli’s description of war encompasses more than just the direct use of military force—it comprises international diplomacy, domestic politics, tactical strategy, geographic mastery, and historical analysis. Within the context of Machiavelli’s Italy—when cities were constantly threatened by neighboring principalities and the area had suffered through power struggles for many years—his method of viewing almost all affairs of state through a military lens was a timely innovation in political thinking. Goodwill & Hatred To remain in power, a prince must avoid the hatred of his people. It is not necessary for him to be loved; in fact, it is often better for him to be feared. Being...
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...NT1 The Prince: Machiavelli’s Methodology on Leadership Niccolo Machiavelli, the first modern thinker, dedicated The Prince to Lorenzo De Medici and the De Medici family as a “how to guide” on becoming a successful ruler and more importantly, how not to be a successful ruler. As in any philosopher’s works, there are many components that are comprised into one common theme. Machiavelli presents a strong methodology and main concept which is to act in your own self-interest if you want to become a leader, and to do so by any means necessary. In The Price, one of his most famous works, Machiavelli establishes his leadership guidelines on specific categories such as virtue, goodwill, hatred, and reputation, just to name a few. Machiavelli’s goal in The Prince is to distinguish why human nature is the leading cause of a princes’ ultimate success or failure. Machiavelli strongly feels that the idea of politics is not a natural, innate part of humankind. It is crucial for a prince to reflect on the actions of great men that came before him and the history surrounding them. Within the text, Machiavelli does not focus on unity nor does he focus on the virtuous soul. He strictly concentrates on consequences because they are facts which we can verify. Due to this belief, Machiavelli’s ideas represent the consequentialist approach to morality. Meaning, consequences are driven purely by an individual’s actions. Therefore, the means by which individuals go about taking those actions...
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