...Neil Adams Professor Cara Chang Humanities 300 07 September 2012 Exploring The Major Themes of Machiavelli's "The Prince" To find out what motivated Machiavelli to write “The Prince”, it is necessary to look at the Italy that he lived in at the time and where he gained his insights into governance. He grew up in a time where Popes had their own armies and went to war with Italian city-states in hopes of gaining more territory. Power held by the rulers was tumultuous at best; people and cities might fall at any time. The Popes weren’t the only forces that major cities such as Venice and Florence had to deal with. Foreign countries such as France, Spain, the Catholic Church, and Switzerland also were engaged in battles for control and influence in the region. Most of these major cities relied heavily upon mercenaries to help fight their battles. These Condottieri, or mercenary leaders, were very fickle and changed sides without warning which made political and military alliances very weak, which in turn made Italy as a whole weak ("Niccolò Machiavelli"). Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, was a founder of modern political science who lived in Florence during the Renaissance period. He was born on May 3, 1469, in Florence, Italy. Niccolò was the first son and third child of attorney, Bernardo di Niccolò Machiavelli, and his wife, Bartolomea di Stefano Nelli. At a young age became a pupil of a renowned Latin teacher, Paolo da Ronciglione, where he was taught history...
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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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...Niccolò Machiavelli and Martin Luther: Shaping Modern Political Theory By: Andrew Plotnikov Hist 151-001 I pledge that I received no unauthorized assistance in the completion of this work _____________________________________ Martin Luther and Niccolò Macchiavelli were two European figures in the early sixteenth century who recognized crises of leadership and authority in Europe. Machiavelli and Martin Luther were arguably two of the greatest reformist minds of early 1500s, and their reactions to the crises of leadership present in their countries through their writings led to tremendous political and religious advancements; through their analyses of legitimate rule in The Prince (Machiavelli), and On Christian Freedom and Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation (Luther), Machiavelli essentially shaped modern political thought, and Luther sparked the Protestant Reformation that shocked Europe in the early 1500s. Though their responses were based on different groundwork, they each detected and sought to resolve their respective crises, and in doing so aligned their political theories. In analyzing the greatness of the two monumental European figures and their abilities to catalyze change in so many people, comparisons between the writings of both begin to emerge. In particular, Luther and Machiavelli shared innovative perspectives in their analyses on legitimate rule, and in doing so they revealed the pillars on which they built their cases: through...
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...Italian author, Niccolò Machiavelli introduced his way of thinking by writing The Prince, which is often interpreted as a way to rule, or not to rule. He uses humanism to back up his views on how governing should be handled. Of course, the book was rejected by the Catholic Church, which believed in divine authority. In The Prince, Machiavelli expresses that people are actually responsible for their own actions rather than supernatural forces. This form of humanism was the beginning of the breaking away from the dogma of the Catholic Church. According to (Hunt, Martin and Rosenwein 459), Humanism originated during The Renaissance in Italy amongst highly educated individuals attached to the personal households of prominent rulers. It is defined as “a system of...
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...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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...both within and by politics. Political virtue consists of knowing how to make use of an art or skill to advance in the world. It is this idea that he puts forth, the ability of a ruler to do whatever must be done in order to achieve success, for it is the successful ruler who is the virtuous one. In Chapter VI, Machiavelli extols the virtues of ‘remarkable men’, specifically those of Cyrus, Romulus and Theseus. Men he believes to fully embrace the idea of virtù. Though each man individually faced his own hurdles to overcome, such as Romulus who if not abandoned at birth, would not have wanted to become King of Rome. Despite their luck or fortuna it was their virtù that gave them the ability to overcome and use their adversities, like Cyrus using the ‘Persians discontented under the rule of the Medes’. For as Machiavelli states: “If their deeds and careers are examined, it will be seen that they owed nothing to luck except the opportunity to shape the material into the form that seemed best to them. If they had lacked the opportunity, the strength of spirit would have been sapped; if they had lacked ability, the opportunity would have been wasted.’ Thus Machiavelli states that virtù is needed for fortuna to be effective and fortuna without virtù is...
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...Although Machiavelli’s writing, The Prince, may be directly aimed at describing the things a prince needs to do, it is also in a way describing the way that all humans should conduct themselves. The book may be influencing the princes, or it may be shaping the morals of those looking to gain power. If the normal men who are looking to gain power follow some of the guidelines that are laid out inside The Prince, they will have a better chance than those who continue to live life just as they have. Machiavelli paints a picture of a man, specifically a prince that is willing to do what is necessary to help the cause, even if it does not make them the most popular choice. In human nature, the question is often asked if one should have good character...
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...Based on this information, Machiavelli seems to be very vocal about three important qualities. According to Machiavelli, a leader must put his trust in his own troops instead of turning to outside forces. To Machiavelli, this is a very important matter. Turning to outside forces can really be harmful to the power. Machiavelli points out that mercenary troops can sometimes take advantage of the people they are working for and take the power for themselves. He states that a prince who puts his trust in his own troops will have much less to worry about. Another quality important to Machiavelli is being feared other than hated. If you are loved and everything starts to go wrong, the people will no longer love you anymore and you will lose everything....
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...each hugely important texts in the history of philosophy. Even though they were written approximately 1900 years apart, they represent two of the most valuable commentaries on political philosophy. They are of course, very different in their discussions of philosophy, yet some similarities are evident. Plato writes about philosophy through the mouth of Socrates, illustrating indirectly through a lengthy dialogue his own ideas and opinions. As a contrast to this method of narration, Machiavelli writes The Prince as a letter of personal advice to Lorenzo Medici. Within his work, Machiavelli makes numerous recommendations that have earned him the label of a heartless and cruel man. Plato, on the other hand, makes much of his discussion about the true nature of philosophy and the just treatment of all citizens. Despite numerous differences, Plato and Machiavelli each desire the rule of philosophers in their states, but while Plato approaches this with direct rule and education of philosopher-kings, Machiavelli appeals to manipulation and deceit in order to secure the rule of philosophers. Plato’s aim in his political state is for the greatest good of all people, through the best balancing of the natural elements on an individual and political scale. According to Plato, the human soul is comprised of the reasoning part, the spirited part and the appetites. The parallel elements within a city are the rulers, warriors and artisans. Only when these are ordered correctly will peace, justice...
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...1 Management Theory Management Theory: Great Leaders of made of Machiavelli, Nietzsche, and McGregor Tyng Wu Benedictine University Humanities 250 Professor Amy Hanridge June 1, 2014 Management Theory: Great Leaders of made of Machiavelli, Nietzsche, and McGregor Theories of leadership in any period are driven by a set of principles and hopes on the part of the philosopher. A core assumption about leadership is that leaders who succeed have a “vision,” a tangible goal toward which they and their followers can strive towards. While this is true on one spectrum, there are others that believe in the philosophy of Lao Tzu who said, “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving” (Tzu, 2014). Participative management and leadership style of the modern times was influenced by the philosophers of the past. In modern leadership and management we see Machiavelli’s active rule, not by fortune, but by virtue and prudence. We also see Nietzsche’s will to power, which is more internally driven first and foremost, but the internal becomes outward actions. Finally we see McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y in management styles, with micromanagers or enlightened leaders. McGregor’s Theory X and Machiavelli viewed human beings in a negative light, where they must be controlled by any possible means. However, McGregor’s Theory Y falls more in line with Nietzsche’s philosophy of the will to power, where it is believed that ambition is within each person. Let’s look...
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...Niccoló Machiavelli Asha Chang The University of the West Indies Niccolo Machiavelli From the centuries of the Dark Ages to the time of St. Tomas Aquinas’ birth, marked a time of steady increase in thought and knowledge. A man would come after however, adding new knowledge by taking a different approach from his fore runners, about the state and governance. Some would refer to his work as promoting the evil nature of man, which happen to be persons who have never read his work; while others believe that he only gives evidence to his heightened intellect and reveals the true nature of human-kind. This man was known as Niccolo Machiavelli. Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy to a relatively well of family in 1469 and died in 1527 A.D. He was born at the time when Europe was blossoming with the Renaissance (rebirth of knowledge/learning). He is known as the Man of Age and Reason. He was born in an era that discovered and explored the World of Classical Greece and Rome; on the one hand and embraced the scientific and technological innovations of the emerging capitalist class and of Arab scientists and technologists. After the 14th century the writings and thoughts began to move in the direction to rationalism/secular beliefs and by the 15th century the Renaissance was born like a little baby growing with Classical Humanism by which knowledge broke with faith and claimed superiority over it. “The Renaissance goes beyond the moral selfhood of Stoicism, the spiritual uniqueness...
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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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...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 return to politics and his goal was to win the favor of Lorenzo d’ Medici, the governor of Florence. Machiavelli hoped to land an...
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...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 and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deception.” (Machiavelli 2011 p 46) Machiavelli presents the follower as simple minded, easily lead, and easily tricked. Orwell presents this idea over and over in Animal Farm. A prime example is the sheep...
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...Niccolò di 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...
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