The Prince‚ Niccolo Machiavelli writes extensively on the manner a leader ought to act in order to gain and retain power in the most effective way. He claims that "the essence of successful government is force and craft" (Gettell 1951‚ 140). Machiavelli illustrates his thought saying that a power broker can become successful if he is both cunning like a fox and ferocious like a lion (Wootton 1996‚ 45). However‚ in the course of this paper‚ I will demonstrate that craftiness and ferocity lead
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The prince was written to the Medici family by an ex - diplomat as a final plea to have his job back. Niccoli Machiavelli’s questionable morals rocked the world at the time‚ where before political philosophy was extremely theoretical and courtly. Machiavelli‚ on the other hand‚ believed in whatever means necessary to achieve power‚ and the stability that came along with it. A strong state is a secure state‚ according to Machiavelli. So‚ Machiavelli encouraged deceit and violence in a ruler‚ but
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rulers. These rulers were kings‚ princes and in some cases Queens. These leaders took advantage of their power simply because they had the right too‚ but nevertheless were sometimes just and fair leaders. According to The Prince written and published in the sixteenth century by Machiavelli‚ princes needed to be both foxes and lions‚ both clever and fierce. Although these many and different leaders all had ego’s and thought that they were in fact both foxes and lions‚ most of the time they truly were
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Nicolo Macchiavelli and The Prince At the end of the 14th century‚ Italy was still politically organized by city-states. Emerging as one of the most influential writers of the Renaissance‚ Niccolo Machiavelli was a political analyst‚ whose aim was to free italy from foreign rule‚ as well as to unite and strengthen the Italian city states. Machiavelli believed Italy could not be united unless its leader was ruthless. In 1513‚ he wrote his best-known work‚ The Prince‚ in which he describes the
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Virtue 1: Machiavelli‚ in dedicating the work to Lorenzo de’ Medici‚ reminds the young prince that greatness awaits him because he is endowed with both fortune and admirable qualities. Machiavelli uses the term "virtue" to describe the positive qualities of a prince. In Daniel Donno’s notes‚ he writes that virtue is a word which "implies physical and mental capacity-intelligence‚ skill‚ courage‚ vigor-in short‚ all those personal qualities that are needed for attainment of one’s own ends." (p. 125)
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Chapter XV Page 71 What does Machiavelli say it is necessary for a Prince to do to "hold his own?" It is important for a prince to know how to do wrong and apply this knowledge or not depending on whether or not it is necessary. Machiavelli makes a long list of what he calls "virtues" and "vices." According to Machiavelli which is more important for the Prince to have control of? Why? This answer may continue onto page 73. It is more important for the Prince to have control over his vices
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Chapters IIV - THE PRINCE Summary Chapter I: The Kinds of Principalities and the Means by Which They Are Acquired Machiavelli describes the different kinds of states‚ arguing that all states are either republics or principalities. Principalities can be divided into hereditary principalities and new principalities. New principalities are either completely new or new appendages to existing states. By fortune or strength‚ a prince can acquire a new principality with his own army or with the arms
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Machiavelli: The Prince The author‚ Niccolo Machiavelli‚ in The Price‚ comes across as someone who is different from other political theorists because his theory contradicts what most humanists believe. During that time period humanistic theorists believed that individuals not just a ruler made a difference. Machiavelli believed the opposite; he believed that no matter what is or should be done‚ there is a reason to expect that it will be. As stated by the author‚ “for how we live is so far
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Lynda Nwankwo HUM 212 W01 1/6/2014 Machiavelli- The Prince OUTLINE The Prince is sometimes claimed to be one of the first works of modern philosophy‚ especially modern political philosophy‚ in which the effective truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. It was also in direct conflict with the dominant Catholic and scholastic doctrines of the time concerning how to consider politics and ethics. The Prince is sometimes claimed to be one of the first works of modern philosophy
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3310-Christina Hughes 10/22/13 Machiavelli: The Prince In The Prince‚ Machiavelli introduced a completely different idea of what is a stable government and his definition of what virtue is compared to previous philosophers such as Thucydides‚ Socrates‚ etc. Previous‚ classical philosophers associated virtue with the good in life. In their eyes‚ a virtuous man is an honorable man. In The Republic of Plato‚ Socrates defines virtue as doing something well and in The Prince Machiavelli defines virtue as your
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