Machiavelli’s The Prince: A Guide to Power and Politics
Machiavelli’s The Prince: Understanding Power in the Renaissance
Locating Machiavelli in Context
Niccolò Machiavelli, a Florentine author who lived during the late 15th and early 16th centuries, was a prominent figure in Renaissance thought, particularly in the realm of political philosophy. He sought to establish politics as a science akin to physics or medicine, requiring a separation from moral or religious considerations. This approach, known as political realism, is prominently reflected in his renowned work, The Prince.
Machiavelli’s Recommendations on Maintaining Power
In The Prince, Machiavelli advises that to maintain power, a prince must be willing to disregard moral considerations and act in ways that might be deemed “not good” or even cease to be, if circumstances demand it.
Key Ideas from the Text:
- To offer effective political advice, it is crucial to consider the actual state of affairs rather than an idealized or imagined state, as many have done previously.
- There is a significant gap between how one lives and how one ought to live. Focusing solely on what should be done can lead to ruin rather than preservation.
- A man who solely professes goodness will not achieve power but will instead face ruin, as others do not necessarily behave with kindness.
- Therefore, a prince who wishes to maintain power must be prepared to set aside goodness and morality if circumstances necessitate it.
Relationships Between Ideas
Machiavelli’s text establishes a fundamental premise: politics must be grounded in what actually happens, not in what ideally should happen, as many authors have previously suggested.
To explain and support this premise, he argues that there is a disconnect between “how to live” and “how one should live.” Those who focus solely on the latter will fail to preserve their power.
The reason for this is that a man who professes goodness amongst many who are not will ultimately face political ruin.
Based on these observations, Machiavelli concludes that a prince must be willing to dispense with morality if circumstances require it.
Explanation of Ideas
As mentioned, Machiavelli’s text presents a fundamental thesis that establishes him as a foundational figure in political science. This thesis asserts that effective political advice must be based on what has actually happened, not on what should happen. This idea exemplifies Machiavelli’s political realism, which departs from the utopian tradition initiated by Plato and continued by contemporaries like Thomas More. Machiavelli believed that politics should operate like other sciences, collecting data and formulating hypotheses based on empirical observation. This scientific process necessitates setting aside moral considerations, as emphasized at the end of the text.
In support of his initial thesis, Machiavelli argues that there is little connection between the reality of “how to live” and the consideration of “how one should live.” He departs from the medieval tradition of offering moralizing advice on how to rule, contrasting with figures like St. Augustine, who advocated for Christian precepts as a guide to justice in the state. Machiavelli, focusing on Florence, aims to demonstrate how a state can be effectively governed and how successful princes have behaved. He suggests that in politics, as in nature, there are regular patterns, and similar political actions will likely produce similar consequences. A ruler who fails to recognize this will be unable to maintain power and preserve order.
The text further emphasizes that a prince who solely professes goodness amongst many who are not will inevitably face political ruin. Machiavelli’s political thought rests on two key principles. The first, alluded to in the preceding paragraph, is that human nature remains constant across time and place, allowing us to learn from past events. The second principle, central to Machiavelli’s political realism, posits an inherent tendency towards evil in humans when there are no constraints. The implication for the prince is that, as noted in the text, a ruler should not assume the goodness of humanity but rather anticipate their inclination towards evil, in order to prevent or combat it when necessary.
Due to these observations and the tendency of many individuals to be driven by self-interest rather than the good of the state, the prince must learn to separate politics from ethics and prioritize the stability and order of the state. This requires a willingness to abandon kindness when circumstances demand it, as the ends (in emergencies) justify the means.
According to Machiavelli, a good prince must possess two essential qualities: virtue and prudence. He must have the strength and determination of a lion for policy-making and implementation, but also the cunning of a fox to understand circumstances, anticipate challenges, and avoid traps. Not all individuals possess these qualities, implying that not everyone is suited for leadership.
It is important to contextualize Machiavelli’s proposals within the broader scope of The Prince, which was written with a specific purpose: to provide the most effective means of establishing and preserving a state in times of political turmoil and urgency, such as the situation in Italy during Machiavelli’s era. Drawing from his diplomatic experience and observing figures like Cesare Borgia, Machiavelli sought to outline a model for a monarch who, free from moral and religious prejudices, could unite and secure a divided Italy facing constant external threats from France and Spain. It is crucial to note that Machiavelli never advocated for cruelty or the disregard of morality in all circumstances, but only in extreme situations where the integrity and security of the state were gravely endangered.