Machiavelli's Cruelty Essay

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When is the rule by cruelty necessary, according to Machiavelli?
According to Machiavelli, he claims that the prince needs to rule by cruelty, especially in terms of crime and justice. If the prince is generous at all times, including the period of disorder, people will lose trust. With courage and cruelty, the prince should abandon his personal qualities, rule by cruelty, and eliminate all possible crimes and misdeeds for the safety of the country.
How can being cruel to a few lead to being merciful in reality to many?
Being cruel to a few can lead the country and the people to a merciful and peaceful path. By effectively controlling the minorities who disrupt the peace of the country, the majority will be able to enjoy the peace and forget …show more content…
If the prince ignores the crime and disorderly in the country, it will continuously become more dangerous over time and people will not choose to live in their own country. The prince needs courage and cruelty, even if it will be against his will, to protect his country, which is one of the ultimate goals that must be achieved as the Prince.
Machiavelli asks, is it better to be loved than feared, or vice versa? What's his answer and why?
If he must choose one quality, M claims that the prince is better to be feared than loved, due to people’s human nature. Human nature, according to M, is unpredictable, selfish, and fearful; in other words, in times of danger, people will most likely to flee from danger and abandon their ruler. If the prince is loved, people, who do not have strong loyalty towards the prince, will turn their backs; however, if the prince is feared, loyal citizens will attempt to fight against the vicissitudes and protect their country and the prince.

6. In Chapter 18 Machiavelli discusses the need for a prince to have two natures: a fox and a lion. Why does he say a prince needs …show more content…
Until late 2016, Korean citizens were unaware of Park’s secret relation with Choi Sun-sil, the Korean Rasputin. When their relationship got revealed, people’s trust towards Park has immediately reached the nadir, and protested for Park’s impeachment. Eventually, President Park was impeached. This shows that if the ruler of the country attempts to conceal their actions, it will eventually get revealed to the surface, ultimately leading to his/her demise. 9. How would Machiavelli define the concept of justice? Provide examples in your explanation. M claims that justice should be separated from morality. For example, M claims that “justice” does not matter as long as the prince successfully maintains his country and laws; these actions will lead to the prince’s popularity. 10. Machiavelli distinguishes between appearance and reality, can we sum up his ideas as follows: “Never mind reality, image is everything.”? Is this good advice in politics or private life? I do not think so. M emphasizes reality over image, and the book The Prince itself is based upon M’s knowledge on European history, battles, and politics. The idea should change into “Never mind image, reality is everything.” M does not value in “image” since hypothesis does not predict the future outcomes; only experience

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