Thomas Aquinas The Prince Analysis

From the Early Middle Ages through the Renaissance, a common form of political writing were mirrors for princes. These works were essentially handbooks for rulers, creating an image of kings meant to be either imitated or avoided. In the 13th century, Saint Thomas Aquinas detailed his beliefs in his own mirror, On Kingship. In the piece, Thomas takes examples from the natural world to advocate for his ideal form of government, a kingship, and discusses how a king can lead his people to the ultimate end. Nearly three-hundred years later, Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince, in which he uses historical examples to give princes advice for ruling, so they can maintain power and build a lasting state. Despite writing for the same purpose, St. Thomas …show more content…
Thomas rationalizes that when there are many people in power, it is more likely that one will be tempted to take control and act in their own self-interest. Conversely, when only one is in power, it is less likely for them to be corrupted, since all of their focus will be on promoting “the welfare of the territory that he has been given to rule”. Thomas also supports this using a rare historical example, in which he references how the continued rule of magistrates in Rome led to discord and the inevitable rule of many cruel …show more content…
It is at this point where he really separates himself from idealists and justifies some of his suggestions. He writes, “for the gap between how people actually behave and how they ought to behave is so great that anyone who ignores everyday reality in order to live up to an ideal will soon discover he has been taught how to destroy himself, not how to preserve himself.” Machiavelli realizes that the world is imperfect, and it would be ridiculous to assume that a ruler’s subjects and opponents would behave virtuously just because he does. Although the recommendations he makes stray from others, such as St. Thomas, who advocate for an ideal virtuous leader, Machiavelli believes his to be superior because they are rooted in reality. It is easy to misconstrue Machiavelli’s vision for an effective government as being for the selfish reasons of the ruler, but he only justifies methods that are for a good purpose. Wicked deeds done for a wicked purpose are unjustifiable, but if they are done for an admirable purpose, they are justified. Glory is an important part of The Prince and is the example Machiavelli most often uses in reference to a commendable use of the ends justifying the means. The goal of the ruler is not just to be successful in his life, but to build something that outlasts