Niccolò Machiavelli has denoted many of his views within his work The Prince which covers many of his overarching narratives on the nature of humanity, republicanism, and moral ethics. Niccolò Machiavelli spent his years working as a diplomat for Florence, and bases many of his arguments and views on his experiences on such. During his time, the Italian peninsula rested on a delicate balance of power between the varying city-states. In fact, he wrote The Prince as a “cautionary tale about how power really worked, the underlying intention being to deprive those who held it of dignity and glamour and teach the people as a whole how to resist it” (The Prince, xxxvii). In fact, it would seem Machiavelli wrote works such as The Prince in order to prevent many of the deceitful and cunning political mechanics he describes. On the other hand, those who find themselves in power oftentimes stay in power or are killed in opposition of the new regime. Since Machiavelli was a diplomat of an old regime (Florentine Republic), he was eventually dismissed by the new regime (return of the Medici family) and was never employed in politics ever again. One could speculate that The Prince was written to safeguard those in power whether that be the people being oppressed by rulers or rulers themselves.
Machiavellianism1 is often dubbed with political cunning, deception, and manipulation. However, Machiavellian ethics can be tricky to grasp because behind the emphasis of “ends justify the means” and “It’s better to be feared than loved”, but ultimately believes a ruler “shouldn’t go on being cruel. But use the power it gives you to deliver maximum benefits” (The Prince, 47). This shows he does not denounce cruelty as something to worship, standby, or praise, but rather, simply, a means to an end. He sees cruelty as a tool to be used for the utilitarian2 greater good of the state3. The underlying principle of Machiavellianism is that the people and history praise results that a leader or regime can bring, not how it was made possible because “historians are just not thinking when they praise him for an achievement and then condemn him for the cruelty that made it possible” (The Prince, 90).
Machiavellian ethics’4 hallmark principle is that a leader (or ruler) is better to be feared rather than loved. All too often do people overlook that Machiavelli describes a distinct difference between being feared versus being hated. Being hated means that people actively want to end one’s reign and control over the state. Hatred derives from rulers and leaders stripping away people’s freedoms and fortune to better themselves without any benefit to society. As Machiavelli puts it, “A man will sooner forget the death of his own father than the loss of his inheritance” (The Prince, 89). Essentially meaning that we may forget natural loss, but if there is someone or something to blame, we will actively pursue action to prevent it from happening again. In such context, if a ruler wrongly deprives us of honor or fortune, we will then undermine them in any way we can, which is what Machiavelli is emphasizing to limit as much as possible- this idea of being hated. Whereas being feared, simply means the people and nobility alike would rather keep what they have now under the old regime than face the consequences of trying to overthrow it and risk losing everything. . Machiavelli understands the unsavory nature of a ruler using cruelty to install fear in his subjects, but he defends this principle in saying that “if all men were good, this would be bad advice” (The Prince, 94). It seems that Machiavelli views morality with a cynical nature because we live in a world where human nature is driven by self-interest, and because of this selfish instinct, leaders, therefore, have to use cruelty to keep their subjects and people loyal to their regime.
Machiavelli’s chief political philosophy centered around a Republican5 political system. Machiavellianism is often associated as a guide to securing power and holding it at all costs leading many to believe he favors autocratic rule, however, “Machiavelli, after all, declared himself a republican and libertarian” (The Prince, xxxvii). His contributions to republicanism have named him “The Father of Political Science”. Machiavelli cites many reasons for why hereditary6 governments fall short from that of Republican city-states. Republics tend to survive the longevity of time because of the governing power is divided among separate legislative bodies. He believes that “Republics have more life in them, more hatred and a greater thirst for revenge7” (The Prince, 26). The reason why Republics last longer than hereditary forms of government is because the supreme power of republics is ultimately in the hands of the people, and because they are in the hands of the people, a leader must be primarily concerned with his reputation of his or hers subjects, ministers, and people he or she governs. The Prince is largely based on the shortcomings of the usual autocratic and totalitarian rule of his time. This is what drove Machiavelli to speak so extremely high of Republics and their effectiveness, because, power, ultimately, still rests with the people making republics the most effective governments. The principle of a republic is a peaceful exchange of power between two (or more) political factions that sway in response to the people’s wants and needs. Since times are ever changing, Republics allow a sort of flexibility to take place in times of affairs in politics and war.
Machiavelli views human nature in a incredibly skeptical light. Machiavelli sees human nature driven by their own self-interest and ambition. He sees men as “ungrateful and unreliable; they lie and fake, and they’re greedy for wealth” (The Prince,88). In his view, man’s devotion to themselves and moving up the social hierarchy is their prime instinct. Within Machiavellianism, we see that Machiavelli has an inconsistent view on human nature, because he supports Republicanism on the grounds that power should rest in the hands of the people but illustrates “Men are so thoughtless they’ll opt for a diet that tastes good without realizing there’s a hidden poison in it” (The Prince 74). Meaning that people are oftentimes presented with policies and values that may seem praise-worthy and beneficial to the masses when in reality they serve only to undermine the people and continue to commit vices. Meaning that people are oftentimes presented with policies and values that may seem praise-worthy and beneficial to the masses when in reality they serve only to undermine the freedom of the people. Machiavelli both advocates that power should be in the hands of the people, yet still acknowledges how people can be so easily manipulated by those in power.
Glossary
[1] Machiavellianism is defined as a traits and abilities with deceitful and manipulative intention for personal gain
[2] Utilitarianism is the view that actions that are morally ‘good’ and morally ‘bad’ are ultimately decided by net ‘good’ versus net ‘bad’
[3] State is responsible for providing goods and services to the people it protects and represents
[4] Machiavellian ethics is the ethical view of a lack of morality surrounding the political landscape
[5] A republican form of government is a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives
[6] Monarchial forms of government with an ultimate authority (King, Pope, etc)
[7] Machiavelli is referring to the reaction of a conquered state by a foreign power