Machiavelli and The Prince
Italian Philosopher, Political Theorist, Diplomat and Dramatist
May 30, 2008
Machiavelli, famous for the quote "the ends justify the means," is remembered for his influential books on political theory and opinion, The Prince and Discourses. The Prince has been a textbook about the art of leadership, with amoral stand on how to secure and hold on to political power, a technique or strategy notoriously referred to as "Machiavellian."
Short Profile of Machiavelli
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, a figure of the Italian Renaissance and political scene, was born on May 3, 1469 in Florentine, Italy. He was an Italian diplomat, political philosopher, and writer. In June 1498, following the ousting and execution of Savonarola, the Great Council elected Machiavelli as the second chancellor of the Republic of Florence. He died on June 21, 1527.
The Prince: "The Ends Justify the Means"
Machiavelli's The Prince, a textbook still used today by students of both philosophy and politics, provides a detailed analysis of a successful political strategy. In it, he concentrates on those techniques a successful politician must use - without any regard to the moral justification of the means employed - if he is to achieve his political ends. Often criticized by detractors for its lack of moral tone, nevertheless, it is a work of great intellectual integrity and consistency.
Machiavelli considers how best a leader can achieve his ends once he has determined that the ends he has identified are worthwhile, that is, 'the ends justify the means.' The book is almost entirely practical, and hardly speculates on the rightness or wrongness of the methods that foresahadow them. It does not does not contain certain theses about which political ends are good.
To Machiavelli, there are three political 'goods':
- national security
- national independence
- a strong constitution
His view is that if one is to be successful, one must pursue one's convictions not only with strength and courage but with adequate means.
The Discourses: A Better View of Machiavelli's Political Opinion
As a political writer, although The Prince is unflinching in its teachings, it must be read alongside Machiavelli's longer and more balanced work, the Discourses, if his own views are to be fairly understood. In Discourses, he provides more detailed background as to what he thinks makes a good and successful constitution. His political ideal is the republic run by the Princes, leaders of the regions and principalities, but held in check by its citizens, ordinary and nobleman. He took Ancient Rome as a model.
Perhaps the best commentary is one from philosopher Bertrand Russell, who said that Machiavelli in his discourses has no time for tyrannies, because "tyrannies are less stable, more cruel and more inconstant..." unlike the governments held in esteem by a reasonably content population, a political condition which is Machiavelli's prime concern.
The Machiavellian Philosophy Rationale
The heart of Machiavelli's ideas consists in the manipulation of others, for power. To this end, although Machiavelli does not teach that virtue is good in itself, it can serve one's political ends to appear to be virtuous. This is perhaps the doctrine that has caused most outrage against Machiavellian thought. He is not concerned with weak and hypocritical sensibility. For if one's ends are good in themselves, all that matters is that one brings them about. In order to do this, Machiavelli argued that one must have more power than one's opponents.
Recommended Readings:
- The Prince, Completed in 1513 but published until 1932
- Discourses, Written about the same time as The Prince
Sources:
Biographical Dictionary, edited by Una Mcgovern, Chambers (2002)
Illustrated Biographical Dictionary, edited by John Clark, Chancellor Press (1994)
Philosophy, the Great Thinkers, by Philip Stokes, Capella (2007)
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