In The Prince, Machiavelli uses fortuna to refer to the luck and opportunity that can befall a prince. In addition, he uses the word virtu when referring to the ability of a leader. A ruler who is given power through inheritance, or wealth, relies on money and family in order to sustain their power, like a crutch. Take away the crutch, and the prince will lose their ability to sustain their regime because they lack the virtu to lead alone . Through the passage a significant detail is added to the original definition by exploring the concept of human action over fortuna through the actions of Cesare Borgia. Machiavelli’s views on leadership and power were a product of his environment. He lived during a period of political unrest in Florence that led to his exile. The Bonfire of the Vanities created a power vacuum that Machiavelli filled, becoming the leader of Florence. His rule was short lived
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Although Cesare’s rule predates The Prince, he encompasses all of Machiavelli’s political philosophies presented in Machiavelli’s writing. His rule was not perfect however, Cesare did have a fatal flaw which prevented him from becoming the leader he aspired to be. Cesare had become an impressive leader not on his own, but by inheriting his power to rule from his father Pope Alexander VI. Machiavelli describes Cesare’s attempt at leading an attack on foreign lands “...he wanted to maintain it and proceed farther ahead, two things impeded him. One was his own army, which to him did not seem faithful”(60) explaining that Cesare was held back by his reliance on borrowed troops. Machiavelli had warned earlier in the passage that using borrowed soldiers creates a weakness for principalities “...a man should know how to command. They are not able to, because they do not have troops that could be friendly and faithful to
Although Cesare’s rule predates The Prince, he encompasses all of Machiavelli’s political philosophies presented in Machiavelli’s writing. His rule was not perfect however, Cesare did have a fatal flaw which prevented him from becoming the leader he aspired to be. Cesare had become an impressive leader not on his own, but by inheriting his power to rule from his father Pope Alexander VI. Machiavelli describes Cesare’s attempt at leading an attack on foreign lands “...he wanted to maintain it and proceed farther ahead, two things impeded him. One was his own army, which to him did not seem faithful”(60) explaining that Cesare was held back by his reliance on borrowed troops. Machiavelli had warned earlier in the passage that using borrowed soldiers creates a weakness for principalities “...a man should know how to command. They are not able to, because they do not have troops that could be friendly and faithful to