Mahiavelli's Unique Morality
When reading Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince, one can't help but grasp his argument that ordinary morality and politics cannot exist in the same forum. However, when examining Machiavelli's notions in depth, one can conclude that perhaps a moral end fuels his suggested use of force and violence. First and foremost, one must have the understanding that this book is aimed solely at describing what conditions and actions are necessary for a would-be prince to take in order for him to obtain and maintain power. Therefore, it is essential to grasp his concepts of fortune and virtue. These two concepts reflect the manner in which a prince should govern in order to minimize his chances to be subjected to misfortune. This kind of governing demands the use of force. However, this is only done for the strict purpose of maintaining his throne, and generating both fear and admiration within his subjects. In these cases of violence, Machiavelli suggests limiting the amount of force to a minimum, and that the victims be enemies of the people. The Prince is essentially taking the role of the villain and assuming all "bad" acts so that his people do not have to suffer and commit the acts themselves. Subsequently, the Prince requires tha
Machiavelli ties virtue very closely to that of prudence. He defines virtue as acting exceptionally and draws a distinction between morality and virtue. In many respects Machiavelli defines virtue by prudence. If a ruler is able to balance his use of violence, keep his subjects appeased, and have a dire understanding of his threats, then in Machiavelli's eyes the ruler possesses outstanding virtue. What must be understood is that the throne is always in jeopardy and someone is always there to try to knock the Prince off his pedestal. It is essential that the Prince understands this continual struggle for power, and it lies at the heart of Machiavelli's infamous statement that "it is better to be feared than loved." Machiavelli explains that, for the most part, love is very subjective and eventually will subside unless concessions are made to appease his subjects. In addition, people only care about their personal conveniences and a prince would have to overextend himself if he were to be loved by all. Fear, however, is not subjective and has a universal effect on all his people. Fear can be attained by sporadic violent acts. One must understand, however, that massive amounts of violence are in effective because it would portray the Prince as tyrant, and might stir up his people to revolt against him. The acts must be calculated, concise, and serve a direct purpose not only to his benefit but to the people's also. Despite what might be assumed, Machiavelli is really developing a principality based around the people, where the Prince's actions are merely to save his own head from the chopping block. The Prince's existence and power is constantly threatened. However, it is not simply a job or power that the Prince would lose if he overthrown. Additionally it is his life that the Prince would lose if he were overtaken. Therefore, it could be said that the Prince must act and utilize violence in the act of self-preservation. For the Prince, saving his own life follows Machiavelli's unorthodox moral code. If the Prince experiences the misfortune of dethronement and probable decapitation, a new prince would then seize power. This new prince could subject the people to conditions far worse th
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1495
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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