Machiavelli

The Prince

Renaissance Politics

Same pattern and problems as those of the Greek city-states Inter-city warfare led to new advances in diplomacy -- balance of power Northern Italian communes

Historical Overview
Niccol Machiavelli (1469 1527) European Renaissance Declining power of Church Advancing in Science, Arts, Literature The Prince written in 1513 during period of political exile

Historical Overview

Machiavelli & Florence Medici family rules city French forces invade, set up republican government Machiavelli gets role in government, ends up as high civil servant, some diplomatic missions and military operations

Historical Overview

Machiavelli & Florence

Spanish defeat the French, and reinstall the Medici Machiavelli is arrested, tortured, and eventually exiled to his country home beyond the city walls During this period he begins his philosophical/political writing, including The Prince

Historical Overview

Machiavelli & Florence

Prince is dedicated to Lorenzo de Medici, the Magnificent But this Medici is the grandson of the founder of the Medici dynasty, Lorenzo il Magnifico, the genuine Lorenzo the Magnificent

Machiavelli & Florence

The Prince as extended job application? Two aims: 1. Secure a government job 2. Provide recipe for stabilizing Italian city states to protect them from outside interference, whether civil or ecclesiastical

Human Nature and Power

The desire to acquire is truly a very natural and common thing; and whenever men who can, do so, they are praised and not condemned; but when they cannot and want to do so just the same, herein lies the mistake and the condemnation. (Chapter 3).

Human Nature and Power

Contrast with Greeks/Aquinas Implications?

Human beings are selfish animals Need to construct a political life which is based on how people actually behave, not how we want them to be

Human Nature and Power

Doesnt want to reject either rational politics (the Greeks) or religious salvation (the church) out of hand Rather, the goals of these two projects must come not from directives by external sources but through personal choices These personal choices will only come about if and when we appreciate the factors that motivate people in making their choices Each individual is fully responsible for his/her choices Each of us share this responsibility since we each share the same human nature

Human Nature and Power

Power
Machiavelli the first political thinker to focus on power as positive trait Simple recognition of the fact that the quest for power is an essential part of human nature Why?

If we want to acquire possessions, then that implies that we also want the means to acquire those possessions Need to recognize that for rulers the study of power is vital: how to acquire it, how to keep it, how to use it

Human Nature and Power

for a man who wishes to profess goodness at all times will come to ruin among so many who are not good (chapter 15).

Human Nature and Power

Indeed, Machiavelli asserts: For one can generally say this about men: they are ungrateful, fickle, simulators and deceivers, avoiders of danger, greedy for gain; and while you work for their good they are completely yours, offering you their blood, their property, their lives, and their sons, as I said earlier, when danger is far away; but when it comes nearer to you they turn away (chapter XVII).

Human Nature and Power

So if a Prince or ruler wants to stay in power, he must Learn how not to be good, and to use this knowledge or not to use it according to necessity (chapter XV) What does this mean? Machiavelli is not advising us to behave badly simply for the sake of being evil

Rather since we see power in political life we need to counsel rulers on how best to use it Basic advice, dont help others, be cruel, stingy, deceptive And get others to do the dirty work so you can escape blame You must, therefore, know that there are two means of fighting: one according to the laws, the other with force; the first way is proper to man, the second to beasts; but because the first, in many cases is not sufficient, it becomes necessary to have recourse to the second (chapter XVIII).

Human Nature and Power

Since, then, a prince must know how to make good use of the nature of the beast, he should choose from among the beasts the fox and the lion; for the lion cannot defend itself from traps and the fox cannot protect itself from wolves. It is therefore necessary to be a fox in order to recognize the traps and a lion in order to frighten the wolves.

Human Nature and Power

Conclusion?

In taking a state its conqueror should weigh all the harmful things he must do and do them all at once so as not to have to repeat them every day, and in not repeating them to be able to make men feel secure and win them over with the benefits he bestows upon them

Forms of Government
What is the best way to maintain the state? What is the best form of government? What are the basic forms of government?