Machiavelli discusses the concept of cruelty in chapter XVII of The Prince, titled “Cruelty and compassion; and whether it is better to be loved than feared, or the reverse” based on his understanding of human weakness. He suggests that a prince should create an economy of violence in order to best rule his people, for it is better to be feared than to be loved (Machiavelli, XVII). This in turn, will prevent a prince from being threatened by the population. The prince may use cruelty when necessary, but Machiavelli further adds that cruelty must be used in a managed and calculated manner to ensure the utmost subservience. The act of administering appropriate cruelty is also a performance of balancing Machiavelli’s contradictory insights—all of which are founded on the basis of a broader vision of politics and the human good.
Machiavelli draws many of his arguments from his observation of both history and politics. In comparison to the philosophers,
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Machiavelli goes on to contradict this point by stating that since the prince is head of state, he may be as cruel as desires to me as long as he does not tarnish the appearance of himself or the state (Machiavelli, XVII). So long as his subjects’ perception of the state and the prince is unblemished, then the prince is not at fault (Machiavelli, XVIII). Although this forewarning allows room for wrongdoings and is out of line with most coeval standards, the claim that the prince is in the wrong only when the welfare of the state is at risk, leaves plenty of room for elucidation. As held by Machiavelli, all cruelties that are committed must be performed well and in a sensible manner to ensure the safety of the state. Subsequently, it is challenging for the prince to strike a balance between appearing virtuous and strong—both of which result from the act of
In regards to use the use of mercy and cruelty, Machiavelli states that a ruler should "desire to be held merciful and not cruel", but also "should not care about the infamy of cruelty, because with very few examples he will be more merciful" than those who show too much mercy to their subjects, and not enough cruelty (The Prince, 65). In other words, the ideal Machiavellian ruler must know how to use cruelty and mercy well.
The most astounding aspect of The Prince is Machiavelli’s view that princes may indeed, be cruel and dishonest if their ultimate aim is for the good of the state. It is not only acceptable but necessary to lie, to use torture, and to walk over other states and cities. Machiavellianism is defined as “A political doctrine of Machiavelli, which denies the relevance of morality in political affairs and holds that craft and deceit are justified in pursuing and maintaining political power (Def.)” This implies that in the conquest for power, the ends justify the means. This is the basis of Machiavellianism. The priority for the power holder is to keep the security of the state regardless of the morality of the means. He accepts that these things are in and of themselves morally wrong, but he points out that the consequences of failure, the ruin of states and the destruction of cities, can be far worse. Machiavelli strongly emphasizes that princes should not hesitate to use immoral methods to achieve power, if power is necessary for security and survival.
First, Machiavelli’s method attempts to discard discussion of the “imaginary” political world and instead focuses on “real life” (Machiavelli 48). His end goal is to construct rubric for leaders to follow either to rule and unite (in this case Italy) in the Prince or create a powerful republic in the Discourses. His method is derived from comparing contemporary and historical events to illustrate and substantiate his argument. He is critical of how people interpret history (Machiavelli 83). He still believes that his ability to interpret and compare history is superior. Arguing that his methodological approach doesn’t just “chew” on history but actually “tastes” it (Machiavelli 83). Therefore we can understand that he justifies his method approach as not being akin to most because he possesses a much deeper understanding of history. Throughout his two books using ...
Machiavelli’s views were drastically different from other humanists at his time. He strongly promoted a secular society and felt morality was not necessary but stood in the way of a successfully governed state. He stated that people generally tended to work for their own best interests and gave little thought to the well being of the state. He distrusted citizens saying, “In time of adversity, when a state is in need of its citizens, there are few to be found.” In his writings in The Prince, he constantly questioned the citizens’ loyalty and warned for the leaders to be wary in trusting citizens. His radical and distrusting thoughts on human nature were derived out of concern for Italy’s then unstable government. Machiavelli also had a s...
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.
Machiavelli’s The Prince was written more than 500 years ago and it is “one of the most influential and controversial books published in Western literature.” (Article A) It was about Machiavelli’s political philosophies and the basic principles of what he believes a politician or “prince” should be. The three main ideas of the Prince were “Liberality and Stinginess”, “Cruelty and Mercy: Is It Better to Be Loved Than Feared, or the Reverse?”, and “How a Prince Should Keep Their Promises” and for the most part many of his concepts should or are already instilled in our government.
As stated by Machiavelli, ” each prince out to desire to be believed compassionate and not cruel” (90). By putting emphasis on the word “believed” (90) one is able to understand that leadership consists of simply fooling individuals into thinking that you posses certain qualities. “It is impossible for the new prince to avoid the reputation of cruelty because new states are full of perils”; Machiavelli states that the correct way to handle such adversity is seen through Cesare Borgia who was able to express cruelty without being directly associated with it. In turn he was able to maintain the trust of
Throughout The Prince Machiavelli gives definite instructions as to how a prince should and should not behave which often conforms to the traditional image of men as being tough
Additionally, The Prince states that secular forms of government are more realistic than pious ones because a pious government would be bound by morals. In the Prince, Machiavelli tries to convey that the end justifies the means, which means any thing goes. He claims that it would be ideal for a prince to possess all the qualities that are deemed good by other men, but states that no leader can accomplish that. He also states that the security of the state should be the prince’s first priority and it must be protected by any means necessary. Although, this can be true in certain cases, Machiavelli uses it as an excuse to use evil and cruel tactics.
Machiavellian ideology often times contradicts conventional ideas of how a prince should govern. It justifies cruelty but only to sustain the power of a Prince when necessary. Principalities are undoubtedly dynamic in actions and thought. Machiavelli makes this a pervasive theme throughout The Prince and although one can obtain a principality in several ways, Machiavelli believed that those who rule do so to push people around. According to him, “it is a very natural and ordinary thing to desire to acquire, and always, when men do it who can, they will be praised or not blamed” (Machiavelli 14). While principalities are inherently powerful, still it is necessary to establish a strong military and hone one’s abilities in the art of war.
Machiavelli brings in a comparison between a fox and a lion, and how a prince must learn to take the best qualities from both animals. Machiavelli states a prince must be “be a fox” in order to “recognize the traps” and a lion to “frighten the wolves”, and by no means should a leader be truthful when “to keep it works against himself and when the reasons that made him promise are annulled”(Machiavelli, 36). Machiavelli proves here that a prince must not be afraid to be untruthful and break his promises in order to stay in power. Due to the evil nature of mankind, a leader must adapt to his surroundings, whether that be through being truthful or lying in order to make sure he is not taken advantage of. For example, Alexander VI “never did anything else and never dreamed of doing anything else than deceiving men...
As he begins to conclude, Machiavelli states that the prince: “should think about avoiding those things which make him hated and despised.” (Mach 48) Although these lack any withstanding moral values, they are effective in the sense that they better serve their purpose. Machiavelli was seeking to display a way to hold political power by any means possible not a utopian state. This may mean malicious acts, imprisonment, and torture, or it may mean the utilization of power to achieve a common good. Machiavelli doesn’t elaborate on this. He concentrates on a realistic approach towards government, as he remains concerned with the establishment and protection of power.
Although Machiavelli gives numerous points on what it takes to excel as a prince, he also shows some raw examples of how he feels a prince should act in order to achieve maximum supremacy. First, when he says, "ought to hold of little account a reputation for being mean, for it is one of those vices which will enable him to govern" proves Machiavelli feels mighty adamant about his view that being mean will help a prince achieve success (332). It is absurd to imagine the meanest prince as the most successful. Also, when Machiavelli states, "our experience has been that those princes who have done great things have held good faith of little account, and have known how to circumvent the intellect of men by craft" revealing his attitude to manipulate people into fearing and respecting the prince (335). Also, Machiavelli shows that for a prince to be successful, he must not think about good faith.
Machiavelli’s perspective on the power of politics is to maintain a stable environment throughout the state at all costs. They describe the correct way a prince should rule when rising to power. His opinion proves to be true through the textual evidence provided in The Prince. According to Machiavelli, a prince should strive to be both lo...
the state. When the ruler is in danger they turn against him. Machiavelli reinforces the prince's need to be feared by stating: “