Machiavelli's The Prince
Analysis of The Prince
Niccoló Machiavelli, famous Italian political philosopher and author of The Prince, was the first to develop the idea that political morality differs from and is not bounded by the usual ethical norms and insists that power is the decisive factor in political life. Within The Prince, Machiavelli blames earlier political writers for having discussed republics and principalities that have never been seen or known to exist in reality and for concerning themselves with how men ought to live instead of how men actually live. Because Machiavelli bases his arguments on inherent human character, he argues that people are undependable by nature and maintains that it is better to be feared than loved if a union of the two is …show more content…
The essence of Machiavelli’s argument is that people are fundamentally self-influenced and will defend themselves before they defend their state. Machiavelli’s perception on the nature of men is foundationally accurate, because human beings are driven by a stronger sense of obligation to fend for themselves rather than their state or prince, regardless of their amount of affection toward the government. The only motivating factor that can guarantee citizen obedience is the threat of punishment, which is driven by …show more content…
He states, “A prince must nevertheless make himself feared in such a manner that he will avoid hatred, even if he does not acquire love; since to be feared and not be hated can very well be combined; and this will always be so when he keeps his hands off the property and the women of his citizens and his subjects” (340). In making this statement, Machiavelli discerns the nature of human beings once more and encourages future princes to avoid disrespecting their people. A prince should never expropriate the property of his subjects or take their women, since such actions are most likely to breed hatred. This argument is justifiable and will produce the most productivity amongst citizens because people will generally work harder through fear, but will rarely produce properly through hatred. Despite Machiavelli’s notion of avoiding animosity, he urges the prince not to be tormented by what his subjects may think of his actions and to act only in the way that will result in the greater approval from other people in the
Niccoló Machiavelli, famous Italian political philosopher and author of The Prince, was the first to develop the idea that political morality differs from and is not bounded by the usual ethical norms and insists that power is the decisive factor in political life. Within The Prince, Machiavelli blames earlier political writers for having discussed republics and principalities that have never been seen or known to exist in reality and for concerning themselves with how men ought to live instead of how men actually live. Because Machiavelli bases his arguments on inherent human character, he argues that people are undependable by nature and maintains that it is better to be feared than loved if a union of the two is …show more content…
The essence of Machiavelli’s argument is that people are fundamentally self-influenced and will defend themselves before they defend their state. Machiavelli’s perception on the nature of men is foundationally accurate, because human beings are driven by a stronger sense of obligation to fend for themselves rather than their state or prince, regardless of their amount of affection toward the government. The only motivating factor that can guarantee citizen obedience is the threat of punishment, which is driven by …show more content…
He states, “A prince must nevertheless make himself feared in such a manner that he will avoid hatred, even if he does not acquire love; since to be feared and not be hated can very well be combined; and this will always be so when he keeps his hands off the property and the women of his citizens and his subjects” (340). In making this statement, Machiavelli discerns the nature of human beings once more and encourages future princes to avoid disrespecting their people. A prince should never expropriate the property of his subjects or take their women, since such actions are most likely to breed hatred. This argument is justifiable and will produce the most productivity amongst citizens because people will generally work harder through fear, but will rarely produce properly through hatred. Despite Machiavelli’s notion of avoiding animosity, he urges the prince not to be tormented by what his subjects may think of his actions and to act only in the way that will result in the greater approval from other people in the