Niccolo Machiavelli Case
Niccolo Machiavelli was a Florentine political leader and theorist, based in Florence during the Renaissance, who was born in 1469 and survived till 1527. Medieval political thinkers believed that the rulers gained power from God and was there to rule according to God’s command. In “The Prince” which was written by Machiavelli in 1513 and published in 1532, he had different views. The book offers advice to politicians regarding how to gain power and how to preserve it.
Different from medieval thinker, Machiavelli did not attempt to build Christian community but to advice on how to rule appropriately. Machiavelli believed that the state was a pure human creation. He stated that a successful ruler should not be concerned about religious thought. They should not be concerned with the principle of right and wrong. The action of the rulers should be flexible so that they can adopt to the different situations. The author also said that a ruler should learn how not to be praiseworthy and to use this knowledge according to necessity. He also mentions that all the rulers who are famous are known for their qualities which bring them either love or hatred. The ruler should act smart enough to avoid scandals which would lose him his state. He insists that a leader, more than being ethical, must be cunning, deceitful, and very flexible. It is not however the case that the leader must be evil to rule. His point is that the leader must know the need of the moment. If the moment requires him to do vicious acts, then he must be able to do so. He says that a ruler must be cruel and not merciful. The ruler should not misuse the power and if bringing peace requires cruelty it should be used. A ruler should accept the charge of cruelty happily if it brings his subject united and faithful. The ruler should be loved and feared but it is much safer to be feared. He also says that men overall are selfish if you benefit the men they will offer you everything and when you don’t