Preview

Conquest by Criminal Virtue (Machiavelli's the Prince)

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
523 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Conquest by Criminal Virtue (Machiavelli's the Prince)
Conquest by Criminal Virtue In Machiavelli’s The Prince, he plunged into how a prince could bulwark his position once he reaches the top. One of the many ways of how to secure a prince’s position is conquest by criminal virtue. In conquest by criminal virtue, Michiavelli said that a prince secures his position when he reaches the top because it takes a long time and a lot of hard work to prosper. So to make sure no one takes away their position, the prince crushes his opponents and earns obeisance from the people as much as possible. The prince also makes fewer compromises with their allies, trying to stand alone because he believes he is more sufficient and stronger than the others. A prince must also know how to reform orders. This may cause havoc because people who benefited the old order might oppose the prince but he must have the power to force the people to continue supporting him even though they are already having second thoughts. So why does this persist even though every politician and every citizen who thinks rationally knows that this is immoral. We humans are naturally driven by our hunger for power, fame and fortune. We set aside moral values and ethical values just to quench our self-interests. Politicians act on it because they know this is the easiest way to eliminate a threat. This is a permanent thing so when an enemy ceases to exist, he’s permanently gone from the competition and this gives the other politician a peace of mind because he knows that he will win for sure if he has no opponent. Citizens do not act upon this because first, citizens that belong to the lower class are afraid. How could they go against someone so powerful that this person could end their life with just a snap of their fingers? The span and extent of power of this kind of politician is vague that it might extend to having the upper hand and control over criminals and we never know what he will do just to preserve his power, fame and fortune. Second, most
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    A Comparison of the Writings of Machiavelli and Lao Tzu
    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Comparison of the Writings of Machiavelli and Lao Tzu

    Machiavelli believes that a government should be very structured, controlled, and powerful. He makes it known that the only priorities of a prince are war, the institutions, and discipline. His writings describes how it is more important for a prince to be practical than moral. This is shown where he writes, "in order to maintain the state he is often obliged to act against his promise, against charity, against humanity, and against religion" (47). In addition, Machiavelli argues that a prince may have to be cunning and deceitful in order to maintain political power. He takes the stance that it is better for the prince to be feared than loved. His view of how a government should run and his unethical conduct are both early signs of dictatorship.…

    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Summary Of Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince
    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Summary Of Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince

    Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince examines how to acquire and maintain power of a nation. Machiavelli states that nations are either republics or principalities. The four types of principalities are hereditary, new, mixed and ecclesiastical. Hereditary principalities occur when the prince inherits the nation from his ancestors. Hereditary states experience fewer difficulties compared to newer states because they are accustomed to the family of the prince. New Principalities are acquired either by the power of others, one’s own power, luck, or ability. New Principalities are either accustomed to the rule of a prince or was a free state. When a prince conquers a free state it threatens the people’s lifestyle and customs. Therefore, the people…

    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Machiavelli's The Prince: Summary And Analysis
    • 1193 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Machiavelli's The Prince: Summary And Analysis

    A good leader is one who can stand up against the norm and take risks to uphold their state. According to Machiavelli, in his book The Prince, this includes taking actions that are not favored by the majority. Though Machiavelli was born on May 3rd, 1469 and only wrote his book in 1513, his ideas were so significant that they apply even to contemporary leaders. Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, is facing situations that can either prove her strength as a leader or set the European Union on a road to destruction. On top of dealing with the major Greek debt crisis, she has been faced with the task of deciding how to handle the Syrian refugees. Using the examples and analysis provided by Machiavelli, Merkel’s best plan would be to pressure…

    • 1193 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Machiavelli The Prince Analysis
    • 230 Words
    • 1 Page

    Machiavelli The Prince Analysis

    This is a significant analysis of Niccolo Machiavelli’s book The Prince. This book explores multiple concepts on leadership and governance for a Prince to legislate on his road to success. Therefore, I will bring a compelling conclusion on how Russian President Vladimir Putin is a modern Machiavelli. To get a full understanding towards Niccolo Machiavelli’s political theory, we must first examine what’s managed to inspire his view of an ideal government. In the book, The Prince, Machiavelli introduces insightful claims on how the Roman Empire’s legitimacy brought a secure and stable society. In fact, presenting the Roman Empire’s platform helped the reader to thoroughly understand Machiavelli’s political theory regarding governance and the…

    • 230 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Eliezer Yudkowsky Why Does Power Corrupt
    • 470 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Eliezer Yudkowsky Why Does Power Corrupt

    Annotated Bibliographies Jared Baugh Eliezer Yudkowsky. “Why Does Power Corrupt?”. Lesswrong.com 14 October 2008 12:23AM In the article Why does power corrupt? by Eliezer Yudkowsky he talks about what role our evolutionary psychology plays in the corruption of man.…

    • 470 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Machiavelli vs. Castiglione
    • 1540 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Machiavelli vs. Castiglione

    Machiavelli's philosophy was that "The end justifies the means." This meant that the end result is the most important, and how you got there was of no importance. The Prince was a book of advice to rules on how to found a state and how to stay in power. Machiavelli explained in his book the many different ways to gain power. One way was to acquire land. The four methods that he discusses to acquire more land is: Your own arms and virtue, fortune, others' arms, and inequity. To Machiavelli, the word virtue meant manliness and strength. Machiavelli also advocates the use of evil to achieve any goals. He gives an example of Agathocles of Syracuse as a proof that this works and will enable the prince to rule the land peacefully through fear. "Born of a potter, this one always had an iniquitous life throughout his years: nonetheless, he accomplished his iniquities with such virtue of spirit and of body that, having joined the militia, he rose through its ranks to become praetor of Syracuse. Being established in rank, and having decided to become prince and to keep with violence and without obligation to others what had been conceded him by agreement... ...one morning he convened the people and the senate of Syracuse, as if he had had to deliberate things pertinent to the republic; and at a preordained nod…

    • 1540 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Machiavelli's Point of View in the Prince
    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Machiavelli's Point of View in the Prince

    If we looked at the Prince for when it was written, then it is important to understand that one’s social class dictated what was ethical. What was permissible for nobility was not generally allowed for the lower class or the common person. Machiavelli sums up his idea that great leaders are not bound by the rules of common men. Great leaders are only bound by power and the authority to use it. Essentially Machiavelli’s political theory was that the end justifies the means when it comes to political power. Machiavelli calculated the most good of the groups in which common people were not part of this group. The group was the nobility and the common person was nothing more than a tool…

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Machiavelli's the Prince
    • 1252 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Machiavelli's the Prince

    "The state is the highest achievement of man, a progressive and elaborate creation of his free will. The individual, the leader, the people, cooperate in maintaining it." This idea of state was put forth by Niccolo Machiavelli in The Prince, which was in essence a ruler's handbook to governing and maintaining his land. Machiavelli conjured his theories for government by basing his ideas in his belief that men, especially men in power, tend to follow the same directions, and therefore by looking at past leaders and their follies we can better determine how to run a state. "Men are always the same and are animated by the same passions that lead them fatally to the same decisions, acts, an results…. That one can foresee the course of political development by mediating upon the cycles and phases of historical events, and that essential to a statesman is not only the experience of modern events and constant study of the past. But also the ability to exploit this knowledge in actual political actions."…

    • 1252 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay about relating quote to the poem "The Hangman"
    • 710 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Essay about relating quote to the poem "The Hangman"

    In today's society, many people complain about all the political corruption that occurs in government, but none are willing to step up and take on this opposing evil. If one would look at the United States' voter turnout in comparison with other nations, one would notice that the turnout is extremely low. This is a great example of how good men doing nothing allows the evil to triumph. If all of those people…

    • 710 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Tyranny In America
    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Essay On Tyranny In America

    This article implies that all politicians are corrupt because they do not represent the people, and that they only represent themselves. The author goes as far to state that America’s political system is so corrupt, that an entire new political system should be created to avoid tyranny. The fact that modern day politicians are self-serving is tyrannical, and ultimately unconstitutional.…

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Problem Of Dirty Hands
    • 340 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Problem Of Dirty Hands

    of Dirty Hands Politics is that the end justifies the means, a Machiavellian way of…

    • 340 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Power: Abuse and Napoleon Bonaparte
    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Power: Abuse and Napoleon Bonaparte

    Throughout history humans realized that a way of evolving was fighting for what was best for them, without stopping to think on others. Humans always want more, we are never satisfied. We are capable of stepping on anything that blocks our way to getting what we want. “The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.” (Edmund Burke) We are so used to seeing powerful people damaging others, that we do not notice, and when we do notice it, we are selfish and think we cannot do anything about it because we will be abused too. By not doing anything to change these situations, we are becoming part of it. Leaders constantly abuse of power and break their own rules according to their interests. Having power or a higher position makes us feel superior and able to mistreat other people.…

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Thesis Of Organized Crime Paper
    • 1224 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Thesis Of Organized Crime Paper

    Then the small numbers in the governing body seem to dwindle to the rightful paltry amount. When the citizens of a community look upon a criminal with romantic infatuation, instead of indignant outrage that person can operate with a certain amount of impunity. When we allow a criminal element to feel at home within our finances, our society lore, our way of thinking; when we adopt a criminal mindset just to get ahead in our legitimate business dealings we are truly at risk of failing to be good citizens. It was once said that the best ways to measure the level of civilization in a group was to see how they used soap, and how they treated their prisoners. Today we live in countries that are described as dirty from the inside out, and we idolize some of our criminals more than our elected officials. Every year we give me to help crime happen than we do to pay educators. We have spent more money since the 1980’s to combat drugs than we have amassed in the national deficit. And that is still only the drugs moving through America. Anywhere from 30-50% is being consumed elsewhere in the world, and all that money is being used to invest in more illegal dealings, bribe city officials and police departments, and destabilize both economic and social…

    • 1224 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Voting In America
    • 797 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Voting In America

    Corruption among government officials makes citizens more susceptible to being taken advantage of. Editor of The Atlantic, Andrew Cohen states in his article “George Will Gets Everything Wrong About Voting” , that “partisan state officials all over the country” have made it “harder, or impossible for people who [want] to register to vote to actually do so.” (cite) Not only are excessive amounts of people not voting, but representatives themselves are restricting those that do wish to vote. Meaning, elected officials misuse their position and power to further their agenda. To clarify, these type of representatives proposed legislation that would gain them popularity among the higher voting demographic groups rather than what would benefit the mass population. If these constituents are satisfied, the politicians are able to advance in their political careers. An example of this is the country’s distribution of wealth. Wealthy Americans are among the demographic groups with the highest voter turnouts. These wealthy voters want to ensure their wealth and elect representatives whom they believe will best protect and allow them to expand their wealth. Representatives are aware of this and in turn create legislation to please their wealthy constituents in order to remain in good public standing and become re-elected by these voters. This, in hindsight, is a cycle that attributes the prominence of the…

    • 797 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics