Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince

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Machiavelli was born May 3, 1469, in Florence, Italy and he also died June 21, 1527, Florence, Italy. He's a philosopher, statesman, author, and political theorist. He is often referred to as the “father of modern political theory” Machiavelli started writing his book The Prince in 1513 after he had just been kicked out of his dream job as a Florentine diplomat, arrested, tortured, then was bored out of his mind in exile. He used fear to get and maintain control of the power he gained and encouraged others to follow. His famous book The Prince was not published during his lifetime and was better known for his plays Mandragola and Clizia. Machiavelli’s book The Prince steered away from traditional good morals to gain power during the Renaissance …show more content…
Lorenzo de Medici significantly influenced Machiavelli’s work, he even wrote about Medici in The Prince. Machiavelli wrote in his book that there was no way to judge something as moral or immoral when it comes to power. Machiavelli believed that power came from political activity and that legitimate use of power does not deteriorate one’s respect from those they have power over. He stated that power and authority are equal and whoever has power has the right to command. Machiavelli stated that generosity does not necessarily mean one has power. In his theory, having a strict set of morals can not ensure the gain or the containment of political power. The book's 26 chapters can be divided into four sections: Chapters 1-11 discuss the different types of principalities or states, Chapters 12-14 discuss the different types of armies and the proper conduct of a prince as military leader, Chapters 15-23 discuss the character and behavior of the prince, and Chapters 24-26 discuss Italy's desperate political situation. The Prince suggested several behavioral ideas that were considered immoral these include: It is better to be stingy than generous, It is better to be cruel than merciful, It is better to break promises if keeping them would be against one's interests, Princes must avoid making themselves hated and despised; the goodwill of the people is a better defense than any fortress, Princes

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