Machiavelli wrote ‘The Prince’ to tell others how he sees a good prince. He says a prince “in order to hold his position, must acquire the power to be not good, and understand when to use it and when not to use it, in accord with necessity” (The Prince ch15). He didn’t believe that humans are perfect because “But because no ruler can possess or fully practice them, on account of human conditions that do not permit it, he needs to be so prudent that he escapes ill repute for such vices as might take his position away from him, and that he protects himself from such as will not take it away if he can; if he cannot, with little concern he passes over the letter vices” (The Prince ch15). I used that quote because Machiavelli is saying no one
