...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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...control them. In his book The Prince, he speaks of the perfect leader. I believe that man, by nature, is neither good nor evil. When a child comes out of its mother, one cannot tell whether or not that child will be a serial killer or win the Nobel Peace prize. A child’s environment is what forms it to be the adult that it will be one day. I believe that it also what one believes that makes him or her what that person will be one day. Machiavelli believed however that man was naturally an evil being, one that needed control (Prince). The idea of man being an evil being, by nature, is expressed in Machiavelli’s book The Prince. He has written that a Prince should break his promises to his subjects because man is evil and will break their promises to their prince (Prince). I do not agree with this theory because I think that man will make his own decision based on whether or not he is good in character. I believe that a leader should tell the truth and win the support of the public by being known as doing this. Machiavelli seems to have the idea of preparing for the worst and thinking in terms of the worst. This is a preventative measure that will benefit anybody who has evil intentions. Only a person who thinks that man is evil would think of such ways to run a government in the way that Machiavelli thought a government should be operated. Machiavelli felt that “crafty and deceitful princes have historically defeated the faithful princes”(Prince). What happened to the idea...
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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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...his book “The Prince”, Machiavelli was teaching a young ruler how to hold on to his power in a time of political instability. He did not advocate random, self-serving cruelty, such as the acts that Macbeth performs. He instead suggested that one take charge by making an example of a few enemies or rebellious citizens, and then slowly begin to reward those who are loyal: "Injuries must be inflicted all together so that, swallowed less, they injure less, and benefits have to be bestowed little by little so that they can be savored better." Machiavelli clearly believed that fear alone could not help a prince to stay in power. He knew that ideally, the people would support their leader out of love. However, this is another way his ideas have...
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...In his “mirror of princes” style novel, The Prince, Niccolò Machiavelli explains step-by-step how deception is an essential tactic that princes must utilize in order to successfully control their state and maintain power. Interestingly in Calderons’ “Life is a Dream” and Shakespeares’ “Othello,” two characters featured exemplify the traits that Machiavelli expects princes to have. One of the characters is a person of nobility and the other is not. this is a weird fragment, you can better incorporate it so that your paper seems smoother. One might question whether Machiavelli would approve of a servant using his tactics to get his way, similarly as a King would. In his novel, The Prince, Machiavelli advises rulers to risk morality, in order...
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...The Prince by Niccollo Machiavelli was written, apparently, to guide those in power at the time the book was written. It serves as a tool to keep any territory in order by addressing many types of establishments and predicaments a “prince,” or a ruler, could get into. It uses the successes and failures of famous and infamous rulers as evidence to correct the actions of some and to commend others. Some of the ideas, such as killing off anyone who conspires against you, clearly are brutal and inhumane. However, around the time Machiavelli wrote it, Europe warred against itself tumultuously. Any “princes” reading this book would have good reason to be violent, simply to defend themselves. The guidelines presented in The Prince may not be applicable...
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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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...Tanpreet Gambhir Professor Lau LTEL 61K June 30, 2015 Pressured Prince Once upon a time, there lived a happy royal family, a joyful king, a radiantly beautiful queen, and an impeccably handsome prince, ruling over prosperous lands that stretched beyond the valley. One day, the Queen fell very ill, and doctors worked meticulously to figure out what was wrong, but they had concluded that nothing could be done to save her. No one was more distraught than the King himself; his wife pulled him close, and with her dying breath told the king, “Please find yourself another wife, one who treats you as well as I do, and brings happiness back to you and the people of the kingdom,” said the good queen. The man wept by her side, shaking his head, refusing to follow her wish, for he could not love anyone like he had loved her. The great king was reduced to sobbing and weeping like a little boy beside his late wife. But the ministers disagreed—by law, the ruler of the kingdom must rule within wedlock; otherwise the kingdom would be passed down. “Let my son have it, let him take my place, I will never be fit to rule over house, let alone a kingdom. Find him a bride, and arrange the wedding and coronation under the light of the next moon. This will be my final act as king. Now let me retire to my chambers beside my passed wife.” The young prince looked in horror—his shock after losing his mother was now tenfold after hearing he would marry and inherit the kingdom before the next full...
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...The Prince, written by Machiavelli, was a guide for all the rulers of his time who wanted to become major powers and to find all the solutions to their political problems. In his book, Machiavelli mentions a great amount of key points that guide rulers to the road of success. One of the key aspects that Machiavelli talks about is fate and how it effects the decisions of a ruler. The following paragraphs will discuss how human affairs are governed by fate, and how fate can be contested. During Machiavelli's time, it was commonly thought that events were ruled by fate and by God only. Not only that, but men could do nothing to stop or protect themselves from those events. Machiavelli did believe in fate, but he did not believe in the fact the fate controlled all events that occurred to mankind. If that were so then princes would rule by chance. This is proven when Machiavelli states I am not unaware that many have held and hold the opinion that the events are controlled by fortune…cause of this, they would conclude that there is no point in sweating over things, but that one should submit to the rulings of chance. (Machiavelli, pg.79) Machiavelli argued that fate controlled one half a person's life but the other half was governed by the people themselves. Machiavelli strongly suggests that princes are fortunate when fate and time are in harmony with their procedures, but things fall apart when things begin to change and the princes do not attempt to adapt to the changes. Machiavelli...
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...The Prince and the Pauper Mark Twain The story of “The Prince and the Pauper” is a great American classic. The novel takes place in the city of London. While half of the story takes place in the grand palace, the other takes place in the “Offal Court” just off of Pudding Lane. Although published in 1881, the setting is that of 1547 England. This work of fiction details a “true story” that has been passed down through generations from fathers to sons. It tells of the historical events between King Henry VIII’s last days and the beginning of the rule of King Edward. There are only a few important characters throughout the course of the novel. None are more important than the ones for whom the novel is named! The crown prince as well as the only prince of England in this historical story is Prince Edward. He is the son of King Henry VIII and Jane Seymour. The pauper, Tom Canty, is the son of an abusive man who comes into play later on in the story. The story opens with the introduction of two boys, a prince and a pauper, who were born on the same day in the same city with the exception that one’s birth was celebrated throughout England while the other’s was cursed by his family. The book then fast-forwards fifteen years to detail the miserable life of Tom Canty. As poor as the poor come, Tom’s mannerisms, wish fullness to be royalty for a day, and unwillingness to beg or pickpocket as he is commanded to by his cruel father, leads people to call him “the little prince” of...
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...“The Prince” by Niccolo Machiavelli is a widely known political piece written in the 16th century, known for its controversial instruction on how a prince should rule. In the excerpt, containing Chapters XV – XVIII, Machiavelli details what qualities a prince should aspire to possess, how generous a prince should be, how cruel a prince should be, and how one must balance honor and deceit. In the first chapter of the reading, Machiavelli discusses what sort of man a prince should aim to become. A prince, like every man, will desire to be perfect, to possess every good trait known to man and to have no flaws. While idealistic, this is not possible. Instead, a prince must strive to adopt as many good characteristics as he can, while avoiding those that would eventually cause him to lose his kingdom. Even certain wrongdoing should not be avoided, as sometimes this wrongdoing is critical in keeping what is yours....
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...PRINCESS Okay, people. I wished upon a star. I guess it does make a difference who I are! Do I have to be some poor nobody wannabe? Do I need some kind of kryptonite like a little pea? Did my prince get turned into a frog and he's now hiding in some creepy bog waiting for me to find him? I don't even know how to swim. What's the use of dreaming anymore. No one is beating down my door. I need to be some kind of damsel in distress to get some attention I guess. Where's my Prince Charming? Is there something about me that's alarming? All I get is Prince Pampered who spends his whole life hampered by being royally stuck up. Or there's Prince Never Grow Up who is way too pretty in his curls. All these boys make me want to hurl. Why can't I find a man sized prince who will sweep me off my feet and take me to far away lands. He will hold me with his strong hands and devote his life to me. Is that what I want? Is that what I dream about? If I don't get it, will I forever pout and cry because I didn't get my way? I just want to feel special. I want to feel like they care. I want them to bravely face any challenge for me. Enter my heart if you dare. Lock me in a tower. Make me your precious flower. I want you to battle your way against dragons to win my love today. Quit playing with your toys and prove your worth to me, boys. I promise I will be the perfect princess for you to please. I will be good to you and I won't be a tease... much. Who am I kidding...
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...Adrianna Goodrich Hour 3 The Prince Essay In Machiavelli’s “The Prince” he approaches the question “Is it better to be feared or loved.” Love endures a bond which anyone can break to their advantage giving more reason for a leader to be feared. Any leader should be feared, because compassion destroys order, cruelty comes with a price, and love is limited. Sympathizing order leads to chaos. If you sympathize people and show them compassion they expect more. Caligula was a popular leader at first, because he freed citizens from imprisonment, and got rid of harsh sales tax. As shown he is compassionate towards his people. Once the people have less to do that piles more work for you. Being compassionate is okay, but not with order. Everyone needs rules to live or even a little guidance. Machiavellian is a word meaning craft and deceit to maintain authority and to carry out a ruler's policies. With maintaining order you need the right attitude to do so....
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...people are smart and act fast. They come up with an Idea that if they make a regular person into a prince, that he will have the power to keep the people safe from the nobles. They want to hide behind the Prince and his powers. The one huge...
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...begun to change in terms of the way of thinking as it pertains to governing a state. An 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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