Analysis Of The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli - 1020 Words

Mankind has never answered this age old question: Is man inherently good? There are different arguments for both sides, however most would agree that humans should strive to be good. Interestingly, Niccolo Machiavelli in his work The Prince would disagree. Written for the Medici lords, The Prince offers advice on how to obtain and rule a principality. To do this, he must first explain the nature of man and adjust the method of ruling them accordingly. Machiavelli believes humans by nature are corrupt, so the Prince must also be corrupt to succeed. In order to prove Machiavelli’s opinion, it is first necessary to understand what he defines as success. Machiavelli believes that for a prince to be successful he must maintain rule over his†¦show more content†¦Therefore, success for Machiavelli is sustaining power over a principality. Next it must be proved that Machiavelli believes men by nature are cruel and corrupt. When talking about the necessity of cruelty in leader s, he says, â€Å"a man who wants to make a profession of good in all regards must come to ruin among so many who are not good†(p.61). Here he seems to believe that the general populace is not good. He does not allude to any choices that would cause this cruelty, so we can infer that he believes humans by nature are corrupt. He discourses on qualities that are praised in a prince such as faith, humanity, and honesty but laments that â€Å"he cannot have them, nor wholly observe them, since human conditions do not permit it†(p.62). These human conditions that Machiavelli refers to must be the corruption of man, as there is no other reason for a prince to not observe these qualities. If men were good, it would be obvious for a prince to rule with good virtues, but since they are not he must adjust his morals to fit his people’s. In addition to this, he teaches the prince to use one of two kinds of combat when it comes to ruling the people: one with beasts and one with man. Having never mentioned ruling animals before, the reader can conclude that he is referring to men who are wicked by nature. He explains that one must use laws with man and force withShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli832 Words   |  4 PagesNiccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) has lived in an era when the Florence, Italy had become the battleground for the foreign forces and was suffering from political destruction. Moreover, an era of the Renaissance was in the process and being a philosopher of renaissance era, he put forward quite controversial theories and philosophies. His comprehensive work The Prince is considered as a remarkable piece of historical writing not only for the age of renaissance but also for the contemporary age. HeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli871 Words   |  4 PagesThe Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli From the moment a child is born from the womb, they are consistently instructed to follow the strict rules of what is classified as morally correct in order to succeed in life, and yet, The Prince, composed by Niccolo Machiavelli of Florence, goes against every word of these such instructions. The Prince is a historically controversially book written for Lorenzo de Medici, intended to assist him in improving the situations occurring in Italy at the time. In thisRead MoreThe Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli Analysis948 Words   |  4 PagesComposed nearly 500 years ago, Niccolo Machiavellis The Prince presents another perspective on the meaning of virtue. Machiavellis definition contended against the idea presented by the Catholic Church. 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His extensive explanations were driven by his own fascination with power and his desire for an independent Italy. The Prince expresses the effectual truth of t hings and the idea that a prince must not be just and fair when comingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli1755 Words   |  8 PagesNiccolo Machiavelli’s â€Å"The Prince† provides guidelines for how the leader of a state should conduct himself, and the actions he should take to consolidate and maintain power. While Socrates does not explicitly discuss what he believes a good leader should do and how he should act in either â€Å"Apology† or †Crito†, he presents his opinion on how men in general should conduct themselves, and how a government should be run. 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To become a prince there are many different ways which is explain in this book for example To arrive at this position depends not entirely on worth. Stating that there are a number of way you can become a prince by Favor of the people, but must maintain a healthy friendship and offer protectionRead MoreAn Analysis Of Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince 941 Words   |  4 PagesNiccolo Machiavelli and Karl Marx developed theories concerning wealth and poverty in our society, as well as different types of governments. For instance, Machiavelli supported a capitalist economic system, unlike Marx, who embraced socialism in the society. Machiavelli wrote a book The Prince that explained how to be an effective leader. The theme of the book is the end justifies the means. A person could or should do whatever is necessary to achieve the desired goal. According to Machiavelli