Machiavelli and the Prince
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A German existentialist by the name of Friedrich Nietzsche believed in a race of “supermen” that would arise and be free sprits unencumbered by morality, acting “beyond good and evil.” Nietzsche believed that “God was dead,” and man must rise to the occasion and become godlike. In order to become these godlike men, however, we would have to get rid of all outside constraints, such as morality. In a similar manner Niccolo Machiavelli felt the same way. Nietzsche and Machiavelli both had problems with conventional morality, and they saw it holding back the strong. Machiavelli had no problem with rulers being cruel, dishonest, and warlike if it was intended for the best interest of the state. In his most famous work, “Il Principe,” or “The Price,” Machiavelli discusses four key aspects of becoming a great ruler. The four themes or principles Machiavelli outlines are Human Nature, Virtue and Fortune, Good Will and Hatred, and Statesmanship and Warcraft.
Machiavelli had a good grasp on human nature. “Love endures by a bond which men, being scoundrels, may break whenever it serves their advantage to do so; but fear is supported by the dread of pain, which is ever present” (Machiavelli 12). Machiavelli explains how people tend to have a primary interest in themselves, and have the attitude of “whats in it for me.” In prosperous times, people tend to be trusting and friendly with others, but in times of adversity, people will quickly turn selfish and deceitful. He also points out that for the most part people are happy, unless something happens to them. Machiavelli continues to say that honor, generosity, and courage, are all characteristics that people respect, but most of them do not exhibit these virtues themselves. Finally, Machiavelli believes that loyalty is not an absolute, but instead it can be continually won and lost. With Machiavellis grasp on human nature, and these characteristics, he was able to formulate advice for rulers to control their people.
Machiavellis second principle was Virtue and Fortune. In determining success, Machiavelli believes in two factors that we must have; Virtu and Fortuna, or Virtue and Fortune. Virtue can be described as having wisdom, strength, good decision making skills, and free will. It is necessary for a leader to posses these characteristics of virtue. Fortune, on the other hand, can be described as chance, luck, or other external factors that one cant control. “I believe that fortuna is the settler of one half of our actions, but that she still leaves us by virtu to direct the other half” (Machiavelli). Machiavelli argues that a prince should always try to appear virtuous, but every action the prince takes must be considered in light of its effect on the state, not in terms of its morality.
Next, Machiavelli discusses the principle of good will and hatred. To remain in power, a prince must avoid the hatred of his people, however it is not necessary for him to be loved; in fact, it is often better to for him to be feared. “Nevertheless, a prince ought to inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not win love, he avoids hatred” (Machiavelli 129). In order to avoid hatred of his people, the Prince must show goodwill by avoiding peoples private property, respecting their traditions, appear to be not greedy, and hide ones evilness. The prince must also be one for his people, but not be afraid to inspire fear at the same time.
Machiavellis last theme is statesmanship and warcraft. Machiavelli believes “the presence of sound military forces indicates the presence of sound laws.” The Prince must have a strong military and use the military to engage in war. Successful war is the foundation upon which all states are built. Machiavelli discusses how to fortify a city, treat people in newly seized territory, war strategy, domestic politics, and historical analysiss of past wars.
Its with these four themes that Machiavelli based his entire political treatise on, and it was these four principles that will be the foundation of absolutism. During the Age of Absolutism there were many different views on how to run a monarchy. There were so many different monarchs at the time; they all had different ways of running their perspective courts. Machiavelli states that a prince must rule independently and not trust anyone but himself or herself. Many monarchs at the time lived by this statement. During this time period, Europe became mostly empowered by two countries: Prussia, and Russia. Each of these ruled by powerful, absolutist monarchs, who violently and aggressively invaded and stole territory from weaker states, using Machiavellis principles. These monarchs, Frederick William, Frederick I, Frederick William I, and Frederick II the Great, of Prussia, and Michael Romanov, Peter the Great, and Catherine the Great, of Russia, ruled with an iron fist, commonly using deceit and power, to create a better life for their people, which is exactly what Machiavelli was talking about in “The Prince.” These Machiavellian rulers, a term that was coined to describe a follower of Machiavellis