Machiavelli

By having a very intriguing and different position on politics, Niccoló Machiavelli’s, The Prince, highlights key points of Machivelli’s structure of how princes/ and or pundits should govern their land. His political philosophy explains that an ideal prince is not a generous and kind representative of his people; rather he is one who will do anything in order to achieve his goals. As a fifteenth century historian, diplomat and humanist, Niccoló Machiavelli believed that religion should not be added to the political spectrum. His ideals revolve around human nature and how it causes people to be merciless, selfish and foolish and hopes that a prince does not follow the lead of these negative traits. There are two different sides that a prince should have; he must be able to maintain and punish his people (for those who deserve it) but also to be kind when needed (but to be mostly cruel when necessary). Machiavelli explains that a prince, “must have a mind disposed to adapt itself ...[and] not deviate from what is good, if possible, but be able to do evil if constrained" (Machiavelli 4). His cruel and unusual punishment should be the last idea of options for the prince. However, he must be prepared to use these tactics against people if that is the only way to succeed. The Prince has many different ways to adhere to the way a prince should be while still being heartless and peaceful. Although many people may disagree with Machiavelli’s concepts, his sense of political conception is brilliant. The very famous quote, “ From this arises the question whether it is better to be loved more than feared, or feared more than loved. The reply is, that one ought to be both feared and loved, but as it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved…” (Machiavelli 2). Some do not understand that love is something one feels internally, something one chooses to feel by turning it on and off easily. Love is capricious, it comes and goes; but