Machiavelli's The Prince

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In Machiavelli’s literary work The Prince, Machiavelli addresses the behavior of men, in terms of how they interact with not only others, but as well as how they conduct themselves by their own set of morals. The Prince also addresses the factors that determine a strong prince. He states very clearly that certain aspects of how a prince conducts himself will show him in a certain light. This displays that a prince can be lead being hated, loved, or feared. Overall, he argues that a prince must attain balance between being loved and feared, and to take care to ensure that fear does not blossom into hatred. A good leader must be feared in order to maintain balance within his kingdom. In order to achieve this, the prince must be stinigy, and must show cruelty when …show more content…

Being feared does not deter a leader from being righteous. Righteousness has always been a staple in leadership and is just as important now as it was in Machiavelli time. Machiavelli states that even when a prince is feared, “he is judicious in believing and in acting, and does not conduct fear for himself,” (The Prince Ch17). This explains that a leader must always use fear when is required, as it is a powerful tool. Individuals in power must, at all times, be conservative in their actions, in order for their fear to be used in a beneficial fashion for both himself and his subjects. This idea also confirms that a leader can utilize mercy, as in certain situations, it can aid the disposition of a prince’s subjects. Machiavelli supports this concept with the quote, “ he is more merciful than those who, through too much mercy, let evil continue,” (The Prince Ch17). Being feared does not make a leader incompetent, rather it shows that he is strong, and not to be trifled with. Leaders in the modern world today use these tactics in hopes to keep

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