Niccolò Machiavelli was an Italian philosopher and writer who lived during the Renaissance period. He is best known for his political treatise "The Prince", in which he explores the concept of power and how it can be used effectively by rulers to maintain control over their states.
According to Machiavelli, the primary goal of any government should be to maintain the security and prosperity of the state. In order to achieve this goal, a ruler must be willing to do whatever is necessary, including using force and cunning, to maintain control and stability.
Machiavelli believed that rulers should not be guided by moral principles or a desire to be loved by their subjects. Instead, they should be guided by the pursuit of power and the ability to achieve their goals. This often means that rulers must be willing to act in ways that may be considered immoral or unpopular, such as lying, deceiving, or even killing in order to maintain control.
Machiavelli also argued that the best way for a ruler to maintain power is to establish a strong, centralized government. This means that the ruler must have complete control over the military and the administration of the state, and must be able to quickly and decisively respond to any threats to their power.
While Machiavelli's ideas about government and power have been widely debated and often criticized, his ideas have had a lasting impact on political thought and continue to be studied and discussed by scholars today.
Machiavelli
Before Machiavelli all political writingsâfrom Plato to Aristotle through the Middle Ages to the Renaissanceâhad one central question â the end of the state. While the plot is comic and based in a domestic realm, many scholars have recognized the gaps in the plot and argue that a more careful read of the work "contains dangerous elements of Machiavelli's political teaching. The Cambridge Companion to Machiavelli. However, it would seem by simply analyzing The Prince and how he speaks of the autocratic systems is respect to republics; it would seem that he stresses very well that a republic is just as, if not more, stable than an autocracy, and is a just as good, if not better, form of governance. Absolutism: At the beginning of the 16th century we see a very important aspect of modern political theory which can simply be stated as modern absolutism. However, the Congress can reject the President 's initiatives if they have enough ratified refusal.
The power of the kings in all practical senses must be absolute but it must remain under the control and supervision of the capitalists. University of Chicago Press. The Medici Family was rich and powerful in Italy, and it was the Renaissance equivalent of a major corporation. On the threshold, I take off my work clothes, covered in mud and filth, and I put on the clothes an ambassador would wear. Machiavelli proves to be an astute political mind who used his political experience to assess the actions of famous princes and to write The Prince as a noteworthy⌠Government Control Throughout Literary Works Governmental control surrounds society daily and has been around for centuries. University of Chicago Press. In The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli, the main agenda discussed in the novel and carried within its themes is the role of the government.
His works are sometimes even said to have contributed to the modern negative connotations of the words politics and politician, Old Nick became an English term for the Machiavellian became a term describing a form of politics that is "marked by cunning, duplicity, or bad faith". He is a thinker par excellence. He was so adamant in this respect that he was not prepared to make any compromise. He was not interested in high moral or religious principles. He thought it his duty to support the cause if this class.
Now I say that those dominions which, when acquired, are added to an ancient state by him who acquires them, are either of the same country and language, or they are not. They had to make a federal government that would be acceptable not only to the common people but to the naysayers as well. He also gives credit to his people for the good in the world, instead of taking the credit himself. Machiavelli had profound knowledge about social and political conditions of Italy and that created a lot of frustration and agony in his mind. If a man becomes prince he should avoid moral and religious ways by all means. The third and final stage was effective government, which would lead to the people having more leisure time, eventually leading to idleness and corruption. Hale in his articleâMachiavelli and the Self-Sufficient Stateâobserves: It is noteworthy how much Machiavelli sees politics as a battleâa constant struggle for power.
The actual ambition of Machiavelli was to use this political hypocrisy to promote his own good. In light of this, President Obama and the White House have set up what is called a Weekly Address. But politician of seventies and eighties of the twentieth century exactly did the same thing. McCormick, Machiavellian democracy Cambridge University Press, 2011 p. But as ill luck would have it he was accused of serious crimes and for this he had to suffer punishment. He recognized that he did not live in an ideal world and that world would never and could never exist. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
In his opinion, a leader who is loved is not doing his job. Machiavelli was also a supporter of the bourgeoisie. He seems very power hungry. The importance of an ideal leader is to earn the respect of its followers as well as maintaining that respect. Frate Timoteo's character is dramatic because he undermines the expectations that both the audience and the theatrical characters have for him. He, for that reason, adopted an uncompromising stand.
They were already frightened and disunited during the middle ages, thus adding a fearful leader to the mix would not help citizens feel safer. This is contrary to the ease of conquering a republic and ruling it for a new ruler. He was of opinion that religion; morality etc. He wrote is as a guideline for leaders and future leaders to do good and be successful. Mandragola paired with the play's vague conclusion allow for independent contemplation, which unifies the audience. In order to be self-sufficient a state first of all must be powerful so that it can defeat the ill-motives of foreign states.
Machiavelli's policies for despotism and democracy were inconsistent, and can only be explained by the fact that he had "one theory for revolutions and another finds lukewarm supporters among those who stand to benefit from the new one. In order for the state to govern its territory it needs to have legitimate authority, which means it needs the consent of those being governed. Nowadays, some people are living in the democratic society and they have right to talk freely. Machiavelli was not against morality, religion, ethics etc. His writings are clear in how he feels about military action. He relied on good law and legislator on the ground that human nature was not always up to standardâmen are corrupt and self-interest seeking.
Machiavelli: Cynic, Patriot, or Political Scientist? No longer did a supreme authority, such as the pope, appoint officials and leaders. It is clear that morality, ethics and religion in the case of a prince are combinedly called virtu and the prince must adopt this virtu honestly. Machiavelli wrote The Prince because, despite being a firm Republican, he was also well-documented as a strong patriot. If a prince honestly follows the Christian virtue that will stand on the way of success. Democrazia, tirannide, profezia, a cura di G.
