Machiavelli's The Prince

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Machiavelli:The Qualities of A Prince

Machiavelli's The Prince gives the reader insight of how one of many famous philosophers viewed the evolution of leadership. Touching base on: Military responsibilities, Generosity and Miserliness, Praise, morality but most of all the reputation a leader should portray; Machiavelli insisted on a rather harsh attitude towards his people for the benefit of control and order.

According to Machiavelli, the prince should prepare for war, during all times, by disciplining himself intellectually and physically. A leader should acquaint his body to the hardships of war, by action and mind; for example, the practice of hunting. Machiavelli insists on hunting therefore learning "…the nature of the terrain, …show more content…
To maintain power the prince "...must be little concerned with conspiracies when the people were well disposed toward him; but when the populace is hostile and regards him with hatred, he must fear everything and everyone" (Machiavelli, 233). This concept could lead a prince to on look over his reputation rather than fix the problems of the people, and to pretend to be someone he was not. Yeah, it's nice to have a good reputation, but it's not worth losing sleep over. On the other hand, don't let your reputation get too bad, because if people hate you, you're done for. So, dealing with your reputation and respect is like a walking a tightrope. Don't go too far in one direction or you'll fall over.

Reading Machiavelli's The Prince, made me think about the approach of satire and the never ending consideration regarding Machiavelli's truest intentions. At the same time it made me think about the effects of this particular philosophical piece. Leaders such as: Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Kim Jong-un are all examples of modern day Machiavellian philosophers. The leaders mentioned are all men who had their dedicated followers, even though they used brutal tactics. Effectiveness, the word comes to mind when these leaders are being analyzed. What makes a good
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