Niccolo Machiavelli: The Father of Modern Politics

910 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Nelson Mandela's leadership qualities

The American Senate Majority leader just cast the deciding vote to not support the Women’s Fair Pay Act, knowing his district’s voters are over 55% women. But, his vote ensured his party would keep the majority until 2016. The Minority leader in the Senate walks over to him after the session and says, “Good play, and it was very Machiavellian of you”.

Niccolo Machiavelli was a philosopher, statesman and the leading political theorist in the late 1400s early 1500s. He is often referred to as the “father of modern political theory” (Nederman, 2009). His book The Prince (2011) had such an influence its’ theories are still in practice today. This paper will prove Machiavelli is not a Visionary leader nor is he ethical through his theory as written in his book the Prince, and its relevance through personal experience. Let’s begin by discussing Machiavelli’s visionary leadership.

It is easy to mistake Machiavelli as a visionary leader due to the fact he was so influential but the real truth is he is not. First, it is important to know what a visionary leader is. “Visionary leaders not only have a clear idea of what is possible, they are involved in bringing it about” (Kahan, 2013, para. 5). Visionary leaders foster inclusive environments and are team builders as well as strategic thinkers (LM03, 2012). Machiavelli’s theories were effective but he was never involved in executing what he wrote. He never saw any plan through. When it came to fostering inclusive environments Machiavelli (2011) stated:

It is much safer to be feared than loved because... love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of pun...

... middle of paper ...

...you’re watching C-Span and watching our government debate will you be able to point out what party is only looking out for their own interest and acting Machiavellian?

References

Golem, D. (2006). Social intelligence: The new science of human relationships. Random House.

Kahan, Seth (2013). Leadership: Visionary leadership. Retrieved from http://www.visionaryleadership.com/free-resources/leadership-visionary- leadership.php

LM01, Ethical Leadership. (2012). Maxwell Gunter AFB. Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education (AETC)

LM03, Diversity. (2012). Maxwell Gunter AFB. Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education (AETC)

Machiavelli, N. (2011). The Prince [Apple E-book version]. Retrieved from Apple.com

Nederman, C. (2009). Niccolo Machiavelli. Stanfrod Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/machiavelli/

Show More
Related

  • Comparing and Contrasting Mirandolla and Machiavelli

    610 Words  | 2 Pages

    This compare and contrast essay will focus on the views of leadership between Mirandolla and Machiavelli. Mirandolla believes that leadership should not be false and that it should follow the rule of reason. He believes that leaders should strive for the heavens and beyond. On the other hand, Machiavelli believed that leadership comes to those who are crafty and forceful. He believed that leaders do not need to be merciful, humane, faithful or religious; they only need to pretend to have all these qualities. Despite both of them being philosophers, they have drastically different views on leadership, partially because of their views on religion are different. Mirandolla was very religious, and Machiavelli was a pragmatist, which means that he was not interested in religion.

    Read More

  • The Qualities Of A Prince Rhetorical Analysis

    740 Words  | 2 Pages

    Niccolò Machiavelli was a man who lived during the fourteen and fifteen hundreds in Florence, Italy, and spent part of his life imprisoned after the Medici princes returned to power. He believed that he should express his feelings on how a prince should be through writing and became the author of “The Qualities of a Prince.” In his essay, he discusses many points on how a prince should act based on military matters, reputation, giving back to the people, punishment, and keeping promises. When writing his essay, he follows his points with examples to back up his beliefs. In summary, Machiavelli’s “The Qualities of a Prince,” provides us with what actions and behaviors that a prince should have in order to maintain power and respect.

    Read More

  • Morality In The Prince And Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince

    2108 Words  | 5 Pages

    There is no easy solution to our moral quandrums (another much discussed idea in the Discourses. Machiavelli’s daring, his awareness of unadorned reality, his honesty and anti-hypocrisy, his republican commitment can help us, if we are able to grasp the essence of his politics and his ethics, also in this very complex and problematic stage of human development.

    Read More

  • Machiavelli’s The Prince

    653 Words  | 2 Pages

    Niccolo Machiavelli lived in Florence, Italy in the 1400’s. The country of Italy was divided into city-states that had their own leaders, but all pledged alliance to their king. In time in which great leaders were needed in order to help the development of a city-state and country, Machiavelli had a theory that man needed a leader to control them. In his book The Prince, he speaks of the perfect leader.

    Read More

  • Machiavelli and Rousseau's Views on Human Nature and Government

    558 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Machiavelli The Prince Rhetorical Analysis

    1032 Words  | 3 Pages

    Machiavelli discusses assertive and bold ideas in “The Prince,” revealing his radical and courageous nature. His treatise is deceptively self-soliciting, because he disguises his extreme notions behind a veil of feigned expertise. His frank approach makes him appear confident and deserving of the utmost respect; however, he cautiously humbles himself by pouring immense flattery for the ruling prince into his work and, in doing so, assures protection for himself and his notorious ideas.

    Read More

  • Comparing Machiavelli’s Principles and the Ten Commandments

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    Machiavelli is undisputedly one of the most influential political philosophers of all time. In The Prince, his most well-known work, he relates clearly and precisely how a decisive, intelligent man can gain and maintain power in a region. This work is revolutionary because it flies in the face of the Christian morality which let the Roman Catholic Church hold onto Europe for centuries. Machiavelli's work not only ignores the medieval world's ethics: The Prince suggests actions which oppose the four most basic of Christianity's Ten Commandments.

    Read More

  • Machiavelli's The Prince: Still Relevant after All These Years

    2155 Words  | 5 Pages

    Machiavelli is “a crystal-clear realist who understands the limits and uses of power.” -- Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jared Diamond (2013)

    Read More

  • Henry V by William Shakespeare

    1379 Words  | 3 Pages

    Juarez, Aimee C. “Humanizing Machiavelli and His Concept of a Good Leader.” www.saybrook.edu. N.p., 29 June 2012. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.

    Read More

  • Nicolo Machiavelli And Thomas Hobbes Concept Of Ideal Government

    1314 Words  | 3 Pages

    An effective leader is one that understands that a society must evolve and revolutionize, in order to meet the needs of the state that are of immediate concern. As a society we are able to build off prior knowledge of once existing methods of living, and adjust them to meet current demands. Both Thomas Hobbes, and Nicolo Machiavelli’s concept, and perception of an ideal sovereign remains present in current forms of government. Machiavelli’s ideas in The Prince indicate that it is simple for any civilian to gain, and maintain power

    Read More

  • Machiavelli: The Prince of Political Writing

    1219 Words  | 3 Pages

    of participating in a conspiracy to restore the republic, because of this he was sent to jail for three weeks, and tortured. He fled the city of Florence, and decided to settle down in a calm quiet town called Sant’Andrea. He also decided to continue his dream and career as a writer. In 1513 he started to write his Discourses, this book focused on states controlled by the prince and the citizens. It was not finished until 1521, because he interrupted his work on Discourses to write the very famous The Prince.

    Read More

  • Changing Interpretations of The Prince and Niccolo Machiavelli

    2647 Words  | 6 Pages

    Page, Clarence. (1998, October 25). Bill Clinton can teach Machiavelli a thing or two. The Houston Chronicle, p. 3.

    Read More

  • Prospero's Redemption in The Tempest

    2353 Words  | 5 Pages

    Machiavelli, Niccolò. The Prince. Robert M. Adams, trans., ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1977. pp. vii.-75.

    Read More

  • Machiavelli?s View Of Human Nature

    1074 Words  | 3 Pages

    and greedy for profit”.(Machiavelli, 54). He characterizes men as being self centered and not willing to act in the best interest of

    Read More

  • Machiavelli: The Father of Modern Political Science

    1046 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the time 1469, a child by the name of Niccolo Di Bernardo Del Machiavelli was born .Some may know him as an Italian philosopher, humanist, or a evil minded fellow associated with the corruptness of totalitarian government. In Machiavelli’s home state Florence, he introduces the modern political theory. Hoping to gain influence with the ruling Medici family Niccolo wrote a pamphlet call The Prince (Prezzolini).

    Read More

More about Niccolo Machiavelli: The Father of Modern Politics

Open Document