Essay on Machiavelli: Political Philosophy and Machiavelli

Submitted By johndoe42992
Words: 1916
Pages: 8
Open Document
Machiavelli’s masterwork The Prince, written after his release, is dedicated to one of the Medici, and (on one possible reading) it is a particularly ingenious attempt to guide the prince toward beneficent government, much as Castiglione’s perfect courtier aims to do. But recognizing, perhaps, the futility of trying to shape unruly passions into benign virtues, Machiavelli turns instead to the counterbalancing weight of interest: rather than appeal to the prince’s love of entertainment and good company, he appeals more directly to his love of power.43 With unflinching single-mindedness, he demonstrates what a prince must do in order to secure and maintain his position. Under this very persuasive cloak, however, we find the prince inexorably led to adopt policies that, in practice, will actually benefit the people. Advised that generosity is not in his long-term interest, the prince will restrict his spending and keep taxes low; advised that clemency will eventually undermine respect for his authority, the prince will rigidly maintain law and order and bring peace to his territory; advised that it is better to be feared than loved (if one cannot be both), the prince will nevertheless respect his citizen’s lives and property so as not to be hated; and so on.44 The real would-be courtier Machiavelli, in short, outdoes the perfect courtier imagined by Castiglione—he finds more effective means to the same end. It is, however, a poignant achievement.

Machiavelli was born in a tumultuous era—popes waged acquisitive wars against Italian city-states, and people and cities often fell from power. Along with the pope and the major cities like Venice and Florence, foreign powers such as France, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and even Switzerland battled for regional influence and control. Political-military alliances continually changed, featuring condottieri (mercenary leaders), who changed sides without warning, and the rise and fall of many short-lived governments.[4]

Machiavelli was taught grammar, rhetoric, and Latin. It is thought that he did not learn Greek, even though Florence was at the time one of the centers of Greek scholarship in Europe. In 1494, Florence restored the republic—expelling the Medici family, who had ruled Florence for some sixty years. Shortly after the execution of Savonarola, Machiavelli was appointed to an office of the second chancery, a medieval writing office which put Machiavelli in charge of the production of official Florentine government documents. Shortly thereafter, he was also made the secretary of the Dieci di Libertà e Pace. In the first decade of the sixteenth century, he carried out several diplomatic missions: most notably to the Papacy in Rome, in the Italian states. Moreover, from 1502 to 1503 he witnessed the brutal reality of the state-building methods of Cesare Borgia (1475–1507) and his father, Pope Alexander VI, who were then engaged in the process of trying to bring a large part of central Italy under their possession. The pretext of defending Church interests was used as a partial justification by the Borgias. Other excursions to the court of Louis XII and the Spanish court influenced his writings and appear in The Prince and several other of his non-fiction works.

Between 1503 and 1506, Machiavelli was responsible for the Florentine militia. He distrusted mercenaries (a distrust he explained in his official reports and then later in his theoretical works, due to their unpatriotic and uninvested nature in war, making their allegiance fickle and often to waver when most needed), and instead staffed his army with citizens, a policy which proved to be successful many times. Under his command Florentine citizen-soldiers defeated Pisa in 1509; however, Machiavelli's success did not last. In August 1512, the Medici, helped by Pope Julius II, used Spanish troops to defeat the Florentines at Prato, although many historians have argued that this was due to Piero Soderini's
Show More

Related Documents: Essay on Machiavelli: Political Philosophy and Machiavelli

Essay Mach.: Political Philosophy and Machiavelli

Machiavelli - The Qualities of the Prince Pre-reading Questions: Machiavelli praises skill in warfare in the opening because a prince needs to be powerful and that power needs to be known to others. It is an important trait for a prince because he believes that warfare is not just for war, but for defense. If a prince cannot defend nor attack others, he has little hope in ruling his kingdom for long time. According to Machiavelli for a prince, it is better to be feared than loved. Questions…

Words 828 - Pages 4

Machiavelli: Political Philosophy and Prince Essay

violent world a little less painful was a noble undertaking. Machiavelli succeeded in this and the result was a work of political strategy that has stood the test of time. "The Prince" is amoral and viewing Machiavelli as an advocate of violence is wrong and a bit naive. Is violence an instrument that can be utilized effectively from a governing position? Of course it is, but to think that its alone in its effectiveness is short-sighted. Machiavelli was realistic. "The Prince" has stirred controversy since…

Words 1034 - Pages 5

Comparing Machiavelli And Cicero

Machiavelli and Cicero Both Machiavelli and Cicero hold a significant and relevant influence over former and current western political thought. Both men are as well independent to their times and independent thinkers with drastically different political theories and idealizations. However, one may easily argue that the two have endured the test of time and that their legacies are here to stay. Niccolò Machiavelli was born in May of 1469 in Florence Italy. Not only was Florence the birthplace of…

Words 1529 - Pages 7

Machiavelli Plato Rebuplic Prince Comparison Essay

Haþim Cihan Demirköprülü, 20303433 Essay Question: Compare the Characteristics of the true guardians, as described by Plato (Republic, bk VII, pp.158 – 61, 484b – 487e) with the characteristics of the rulers, as described by Machiavelli (The Prince, ch.15, pp. 47 – 49 and ch. 18, pp.54f). What is the most important difference between the two accounts? In your view, which account is better, and why? For centuries, every ruler created their own principles and rules and somehow…

Words 1440 - Pages 6

Essay about The Early Life of Machiavelli

Slide 2: The early life of Machiavelli Machiavelli was born on May 3rd 1469 in Florence, Italy, the first son and third child of attorney Bernardo di Niccolò Machiavelli and his wife Bartolomea di Stefano Nelli. He was born to an established though not affluent middle-class family whose members had traditionally filled positions in local government. Machiavelli was born in a tumultuous era—popes waged acquisitive wars against Italian city-states, and people and cities might fall from power at…

Words 1550 - Pages 7

The Prince Discourse On Livy Analysis

of or expertise in the fine arts”) of mankind, Fortuna (translated as “fortune” meaning “luck”), as well as the notion of idealism against the notion of realism all play a role in influencing political theory and laying forth the foundations of modern-era philosophy. For good or ill, each political philosophy…

Words 1545 - Pages 7

Who Fits the Role?: Evaluating Potential Candidates as President Essay

are merely scratching the surface to my interpretation that depicts some level of success a leader of a nation could obtain, in my opinion. Furthermore, I will be evaluating and criticizing four potential candidates for president such as, Niccolo Machiavelli, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Rudyad Kipling, and Karl Marx. Only one of them will reach my vote and explain why. Staring through one’s rear view mirror, one could see Karl Marx racing vigorously through this presidential race. Karl Marx, a German…

Words 1307 - Pages 6

Machiavelli Research Essay

The book “The Prince” by Niccoló Machiavelli is a book about how an ideal prince should run his state. This book was originally written for Lorenzo the Great de Medici. It became a cornerstone of modern political theory. The book was published in 1532, after Machiavelli died. This book instantly provoked controversy that is still continuing today. Machiavelli defined human nature as inherently selfish, and claimed that social conflict was the best way to determine the most able of the leaders. The…

Words 1094 - Pages 5

Machiavelli The Prince Analysis

Contents 1. About Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli 2. Summary of The Prince 3. Summary of the environment in The Prince 4. Analysis of the Story About Machiavelli Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was born the second sonon May 3, 1469 in Florence, Italy to a lawyer, Bernardo di Niccolò Machiavelli and Bartolommea di Stefano Nelli. His family was believed to be related to the old marquesses of Tuscany. Machiavelli found himself to be a political genius and working for the government of Florence…

Words 2018 - Pages 9

Machiavelli's The Prince Analysis

In this paper, I will argue that a ruler must be beast-like. Rulers should have the awareness and vigilance of a fox and must instil fear and respect like a lion. Machiavelli is correct when he suggests ethics and politics should be two different things even if some political action are immoral. Machiavelli’s philosophy of having ethics separated from politics is still prevalent in politics today. Rulers, heads of state and/or heads of government must be beast-like to show dominance and should break…

Words 553 - Pages 3