Machiavelli: On the Growth of Spanish Power and Ferdinand’s Policy of Ethnic Cleansing

Machiavelli: On the Growth of Spanish Power and Ferdinand’s Policy of Ethnic Cleansing

Here came Machiavelli, a political thinker of great renown, entering the Hall of the People. Surely, this was a chance to meet and question the man whom some historians call the “Old Nick.” After the publication of The Prince, Machiavelli was so hated that his name became synonymous with the Devil. Indeed, some of us call him a total pervert, a scandalous liar, an advocate of totalitarianism, the angel of death. But who am I to judge? Why do we consider him a great thinker if not for his ‘controversial’ ideas? But he himself had admitted that dying for the sake of some ‘miserable’ divine cause is worse than being in hell. One day, he dreamt being in a company of poorly dressed men – souls who were destined to heaven. At the other end of the aisle, he saw a group of glumly attired men – men who were bravely discussing war and politics. Included in the group were Cicero, Plutarch, Aristotle, and Plato. Machiavelli asked them where they were going. The men said: “to hell.” And of course, Machiavelli proudly declared that he would be much happier being damned, where he could freely discuss politics with these men than rot in dullness among the blessed and the saved. Before I could approach Machiavelli, King Ferdinand of Spain entered the hallway. The Holy Roman emperor embraced him and everyone in the hall gave him the honor accorded to a monarch. Ferdinand and Isabella were often called the “Catholic Kings’ for their staunch defense of Catholicism in their domains. The two were credited for the expulsion of the Moors from Spain and for financing Christopher Columbus’ voyages to the New World. It was truly a sight to behold. As Machiavelli was ha...

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... so as not to command the respect or reverence of your subjects. You came to me not because you are seeking advice about how ‘best’ to govern your kingdom and maintain Spanish rule in the Americas. You came to me to know for certain whether what you have done was for the good of the kingdom.

Ferdinand: [Smiled] Truly, I thank you for your services.

And Ferdinand walked across the aisle. He was finally at peace with himself. He waved and smiled to the crowd. The new prince was certainly on a joyous mood.

Works Cited

De Alvarez, Leo Paul. The Machiavellian Enterprise: A Commentary on ‘The Prince.’ Illinois: Northern Illinois University Press, 2008. Print.

Edwards, John. The Spain of the Catholic Monarchs 1474-1520. New York: Blackwell Publishers Inc., 2000. Print.

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1991. Print.