Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince

Improved Essays
Show More
The Italian Renaissance historian, Niccolò Machiavelli, authored the work The Prince which introduced ideas towards political science. Being born on May 3, 1469 in Florence, Italy, Machiavelli was able to grow up in a location that sparked his interest in military and diplomatic affairs. Regarded as the founder of modern political science, Machiavelli’s work The Prince was well criticized by his readers. The Prince was constructed as a practical guide of how to rule. Machiavelli made the text obvious that it was dedicated to Lorenzo de Medici, ruler of Florence. The text covers ideas of dishonesty, immoral behavior, and political strategy. From chapters XV-XVII in The Prince, Machiavelli embarks on the description of what it means to live

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    What Is Machiavelli's Purpose Of The Prince
    • 1636 Words
    • 7 Pages

    What Is Machiavelli's Purpose Of The Prince

    Machiavelli’s reputation rests primarily on his works, The Prince, this brought him a reputation as an atheist and an immoral cynic. The Prince is an extended analysis of how to obtain and preserve…

    • 1636 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Interpretation Of Machiavelli's The Prince
    • 186 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Interpretation Of Machiavelli's The Prince

    In one section of the article, Vincent Barnett discusses some of the alternative ways that Machiavelli’s The Prince can be interpreted. One interpretation was that Machiavelli possibly intended for his writing to be satirical, because certain facts, such as how Machiavelli had a family, refute his statement from the pamphlet that he believes all humans are evil. Also, it is possible that Machiavelli didn’t actually agree with the ideas in his writing, but he only wrote those things to gain favor from the leaders of his time. These are just possibilities, but knowing about Machiavelli’s life and his situation are important in order to understand his motives for writing The Prince. Just like Machiavelli, present-day leaders and authors make…

    • 186 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Machiavelli Rhetorical Analysis
    • 741 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Machiavelli Rhetorical Analysis

    He raises the question of whether it is better for a leader to be loved or feared by the public. He answers with the statement, “The reply is, that one ought to be both feared and loved, but as it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved, if one of the two has to be wanting” (69). Machiavelli backs up this statement by saying that a leader who is feared can make decisions and execute orders much more effectively. He thinks a prince should be trusting to a certain degree, but should always be prepared for disaster, saying, “And the prince who has relied solely on their words, without making other preparations, is ruined…” (69). Machiavelli’s thought initially seems negative, as he lacks faith in the public to remain loyal to their prince.…

    • 741 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Comparing Machiavelli And St. Catherine Of Siena
    • 1290 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Comparing Machiavelli And St. Catherine Of Siena

    Catherine of Siena’s perspectives on effective use of political power is through their views on corruption, with “corruption” defined as any dishonest or fraudulent behavior by a figure in political power. Machiavelli examines the usefulness of to being “a great pretender and dissembler” in getting men to do what a ruler wants (M 38). Not only does he promote deception but he encourages the use of violent force saying, “Cruel acts are used well...for political security...committed to a single stroke and then discontinued” (M 19). His justification for these acts is that they are methods to retain order and unify the community. St. Catherine of Siena claims that those who act the way Machiavelli describes, rule “imperfectly and corruptly”, as they are far more concerned for keeping their worldly goods and reputation than anything else (C 47).…

    • 1290 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Machiavelli The Prince Research Paper
    • 533 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Machiavelli The Prince Research Paper

    In writing The Prince, Machiavelli exercised his right to say what he pleased and to let the world hear it. Just like the people around him, Machiavelli was focusing on himself and his goals, abilities, and views, no matter how cruel they might seem. In this way Machiavelli was swept up into the Renaissance spirit. While other people wrote…

    • 533 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Mixed Princedom In Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince
    • 1067 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Mixed Princedom In Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince

    The Prince, written by Niccolo Machiavelli, is a controversial work of literature that offers the frightening reality of how any government is truly ruled. It varies from the popular patriotic belief that our nation does no wrong, and produces the idea that greed, lies, and sin are necessary evils to a functioning nation. During Machiavelli’s time there were many transitions of power, as mankind was still settling in, and it seemed necessary to him to outline steps for the new rulers, the De’Medici family, as to gain favor. He had also hoped to influence the De’Medici rulers to form a government that was just and constant.…

    • 1067 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Machiavelli Discourse On Livy Analysis
    • 1004 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Machiavelli Discourse On Livy Analysis

    He outlines what he thinks is the proper political and religious structure for a state, and calls for a return to the classics, which is appropriate during the Renaissance, a time when a return to the classics was valued by all nobility, and Machiavelli points out the flaws apparent within the political system in Italy, especially in Rome proper, asking for…

    • 1004 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Machiavelli's The Prince Analysis
    • 879 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Machiavelli's The Prince Analysis

    Machiavelli in The Prince is primarily a practical observer and diplomat analyst prescribing numerous ethical and political instructions to Cesar Borgia for pyramidical maintenance, sustenance and enhancement of political power at various stages of capturing, nurturing, preserving and augmenting power and absolute power for the prince. Hobbes’s aim in his Leviathan is similar to that of Machiavelli’s The Prince. Both are equally concerned for bringing about order out of chaotic civil war like situation in England and arbitrary ruler in Italy respectively. Hobbes is making an all-out effort to create an edifice and basis of scientific foundation for the need of a sovereign power through his so called scientific materialism. That is why he discusses at length human nature, psyche and need for sociological order in society.…

    • 879 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Machiavelli's Summary
    • 2626 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Machiavelli's Summary

    PART A. IDENTIFICATIONS 3. “This division of labor, from which so many advantages are derived, is not originally the effect of any human wisdom…it is the necessary consequence of a certain propensity in human nature…to truck, barter and exchange one thing for another.” Adam Smith (pg.21) - In this quote, Adam Smith introduces the idea that although the specialization of skills in division of labor leads to efficiency when it comes to production, this is bad for the people because they lose other skills. People are so focused on their specialty that their other skills are not improved upon and start to deteriorate so they become good for one thing, their specialty.…

    • 2626 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Relationship Between Machiavelli's The Prince And The Discourses
    • 764 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Relationship Between Machiavelli's The Prince And The Discourses

    An explanation that is potentially one of the more conventional validations of the relationship between Machiavelli’s The Prince and the Discourses is reading The Prince as a manual for the founder of what would eventually emerge as a republic. Once the prince has established a foundation of the state, the republic that Machiavelli advocates for in the Discourses will become achievable and desirable. The Prince was written to establish a unified state; the republic in the Discourses will maintain that stable and unified state. Academic Leo Strauss explains that Machiavelli wrote the Discourses to promote the imitation of ancient republics. Machiavelli longed for the rebirth of ancient republicanism .…

    • 764 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Leo Strauss's Thoughts Of Machiavelli As A Teacher Of Evil
    • 2341 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Leo Strauss's Thoughts Of Machiavelli As A Teacher Of Evil

    These examples include Machiavelli’s discussion of murder, robbery, and ingratitude (Jackson p.45). For example, Machiavelli suggests that the measures men like King David, ancestor of Jesus, must employ at the beginning of their reign, in order to establish their states, are “most cruel and inimical, not only to every Christian manner of living but to every human manner of living as well (Strauss p.49) .” Strauss does not make an exhaustive critic of Machiavelli’s work, but rather a comprehensive one. Strauss considered Machiavelli to be an extraordinary political philosopher, but he argued that Machiavelli’s work must be considered within the context of the Renaissance (Jackson p.32). Strauss argues that Machiavelli was a true enemy of true faith, calling him immoral and irreligious (Jackson p.41).…

    • 2341 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Moral Philosophy Of Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince
    • 1149 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Moral Philosophy Of Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince

    Growing up in such a tumultuous era allowed Niccolò Machiavelli to examine many cases of the rise and subsequent fall of short-lived governments as well as their causes, such as constantly changing alliances. These experiences led to a cynical view of human nature along with a clear understanding of the objectionable behavior necessary to retain power in politics. His career as a politician and diplomat cemented his very pragmatic stance on human nature and the nature of politics, both of which are described throughout The Prince. Unlike fellow philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle, who preferred to hypothesize based on ideals, Machiavelli held the contentious belief that a separation between politics and moral philosophy was the necessary…

    • 1149 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Analysis Of Machiavelli's The Prince And The Discourses
    • 1201 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Analysis Of Machiavelli's The Prince And The Discourses

    At face value, The Prince and the Discourses seem to have a conflicting nature, but both texts focus on the administration of a state and present textual similarities. Much of what Machiavelli writes in The Prince reinforces the Discourses, echoing both stylistically and thematically. Machiavelli uses pragmatic methods in both and accentuates the importance of historical studies. In The Prince, there is a significant amount of reference to Cesare Borgia, a man that Machiavelli admires, and he states, “I shall never hesitate to cite Cesare Borgia and his actions,” and his views on virtue and fortune come out of Borgia’s narrative . For Machiavelli, Borgia is the superlative example of a man who can compel any individual to do the distasteful…

    • 1201 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Machiavelli's The Prince Still Relevant Today
    • 1084 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Machiavelli's The Prince Still Relevant Today

    However, The Prince, to the larger extent is still relevant in contemporary society. Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince is not only still relevant, but predicted the fall of monarchies and the rise of other forms of government, such as republics. Although throughout the text Machiavelli does not discuss republics, but rather it discusses monarchies, it is apparently evident the rule of the government in Florence must change some of its ways. The Prince explains how Machiavelli believes the Medici family must go about the change.…

    • 1084 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Machiavelli's View Of Virtue And Effective Rule
    • 806 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Machiavelli's View Of Virtue And Effective Rule

    He disregards the well being of the people, and instead focuses on the will of the prince. This is evident through his reasoning when providing options for rulers who had just acquired a nation in which the people have lived under liberty and freedom. Machiavelli’s first option is to simply destroy them, citing the Roman’s destruction of Capua, Carthage, and Numantia in their successful endeavor to control a free society. Machiavelli’s disregard for human life, coupled by the fact that he provides methods for ruling without seeking a means of good for the people, allows one to understand his definition of…

    • 806 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings