Nicolaus Machiavelli, the most famous writer of political philosophy, contributed much that is controversial to modern politics and political philosophy. His short book “The Prince” was designed as a practical royal guide. Much of the earlier and later political philosophy revolves around idealism and how government should work, with “Prince” most often used as a rationale for how government works. deals. There is still some discussion about the purpose of the “Prince”. While most people think that the right policies are designed to rule the race, others have created a satire to ridicule the hypocritical ways in which the king commands his subjects.
When something is described as Machiavellian, the pejorative term typically states that the action is cruel, abusive, or overly dictatorial. While there were many suggestions of dictatorship in “The Prince,” the truth is that Machiavelli was hinting at philosophy a little more than it is often given credit for.
Machiavelli argues for a strong army, saying that it is the foundation on which a city is built. A republic cannot exist without a defense force. He cautions, however, not to use mercenaries or to work by contracting in the military, saying that this kind of work cannot be trusted to be fully dedicated to the state.
Perhaps the most difficult part of “The Prince” is Machiavelli’s claims about the virtues of Princes. For he shows that it is almost impossible for a man to be virtuous enough to save his subjects. But, he argues, the Prince should appear virtuous rather than try to destroy the truly virtuous. The report of the prince is very important. Further, a prince who is respected by his subjects is averse to treacherous plots or assassination attempts, so it is worthwhile to obtain the obedience of the prince, both by the appearance of virtue and by demonstrations of fear. .
Machiavelli warns that a ruler who is too liberal cannot raise and fulfill the expectations of his subjects. The nation will be financially solvent. Thus in Machiavelli it is better to be seen as a prince of misers than to be seen as too liberal.
Perhaps the famous Machiavellian quote is, “it is safer to be feared than to be loved. This may seem extremely harsh. Machiavelli states that it is best to be loved and to be feared, but it is difficult to be both cruel at times, which lessens the probability of rebellion, and obtains the respect of the subjects as well as of the troops.
Furthermore, the prince consults with the wise and prudent, and does not trust men, or allows them only to flatter him in his goods.
Machiavelli believes that a prince who follows his advice can be well respected and rule a peaceful nation.
Source: Niccolo Machiavelli-Princeps
