Machiavelli's The Prince

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The prince, written by Machiavelli is troubled with the issues of politics, ruling a state and how a ruler or a leader should be in regards to ruling a state. One of the most important topics touched on in the book, The Prince, is the effect moral value (virtue) has on the ruler and their good or bad chance (fortune) with regards to their effects on gaining and keeping power. A leader needs to be virtuous and have good fortune on his side in order to avoid failure, however being too virtuous can possibly hinder one’s ability to run a nation successfully.
The concept of virtue is defined by the attributes a leader has in order to keep his power in a state. Machiavelli states that in order to remain a supreme leader one must use his power to …show more content…

People can have good fortune, but consequentially they can also have bad fortune. The Prince was written to investigate the success or failure that is caused by his own free will and how much of it is determined by the environment or state of nature that surrounds him. Machiavelli discusses the role of fortune in determining human interactions. He argued that fortune controls half of the actions humans perform, and the other half to free will. Machiavelli states “While it was their own opportunities that made these men fortunate, it was their own merit that enabled them to recognize these opportunities and turn them to account, to the glory and prosperity of their country”(Machiavelli, The Prince, 13). It is evident that fortune plays a huge role in the success of ruling a state, however fortune alone can’t fulfill the destiny an individual is trying to achieve. To add on, after fortune plays its part, it is up to the individual to maintain their fortune by continuing their actions, or completely change their course of direction in order to continue on with their luck. Also, in most cases, almost every individual has some fortune on their side; the hardest part is being aware of when to act upon your actions as well as seizing the right opportunity when making crucial decisions. Lastly, individuals ultimately risk failure when solely relying on fortune. Fortune goes both ways, therefore obstructing one’s ability to rule a state

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