Machiavellis Views of Human Nature and Their Relevance to Todays World
Born in Florence, Italy in 1469, Niccolò Machiavelli was the first great political philosopher of the Renaissance. Once a bureaucrat and diplomat for the state of Florence, he was removed from office when the Medici family was restored to power in 1512. He retired to his country home where he, among other works, penned The Prince, a work which has become a political handbook for modern day politicians as well as for those who desire power--whether it be on Wall Street, through corporate conglomerates, or in their personal relationships.The Prince is a philosophical political view on how one might gain, maintain, and expand the power over the state or states in which a ruler has authority. While Machiavelli's views are based on maintaining a monarchy, they can be equated to the corporate world of modern times. In this essay, I will discuss how Machiavelli's views of human nature are relevant in the world today, particularly in capitalist economies that produce massive conglomerates. First let's review some of Machiavelli's viewpoints. Machiavelli suggests that after overthrowing the current monarchy the new ruling Prince should be the sole authority, making all decisions in his own best interests.1 Any members of the o
"The Prince," by Niccolo Machiavelli Machiavelli's The Prince's techniques of political dominance are demonstrative in today's world of corporate super power. Transnational corporations within our global economy have more power than many governments and nation-states. For example, look at the way Microsoft Corporation's Bill Gates and the government of the United States of America keep butting heads. So, while trying to maintain control over the millions of working "subjects" in large global conglomerates, Machiavelli's techniques and strategies may be in even more demand. Everything old is new again. Today in this world of downsizing and corporate mergers, a large corporation would have no trouble applying the principals of Machiavelism. Corporate giants acquire smaller, competitive, and/or mismanaged companies in hostile fashion every day. Once they are taken over, the old Board of Directors and the CEO is dismissed, factories and warehouses are closed, plants are consolidated, and hundreds of employees are fired. Some of the upper management may be retained so that the old policies of the company can continue as they were, providing this serves the main interests of the corporation. This maneuver puts the remaining workers in a state of unrest, making them fearful of losing their jobs. They become insecure and unsettled about their future and try to perform more effectively at their jobs. The new management also resorts to dishonesty and may use
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Approximate Word count = 992
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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