Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Political Science Machiavelli1 Machiavelli1 Niccolo Machiavelli is a very pragmatic political theorist. His political theories are directly related to the current bad state of affairs in Italy that is in dire need of a new ruler to help bring order to the country. Some of his philosophies may sound extreme and many people may call him evil, but the truth is that Niccolo Machiavelli’s writings are only aimed at fixing the current corruptions and cruelties that filled the Italian community, and has written what he believed to be the most practical and efficient way to deal with it. Three points that Machiavelli illustrates in his book The Prince is first, that “it is better to be feared then loved,”# the second is “concerning those who become princes by evil means,”# and the third is “in what way princes should keep their word.”# Machiavelli’s argument that it is “better to be feared then loved” is a great point. It may seem harsh but it is a extremely honest.# There is a greater security in being fear then loved, if the people love their ruler because he show too much compassion he will be considered weak, and then disorder, chaos, murders and robberies will soon follow. But if a ruler is feared then he will hold a power over the people, and their respect and dedication will soon follow. Machiavelli also mentions that a ruler must “strive to avoid being hated” because it is very dangerous.# He explains that hate can be avoided by reframing from “touching the property of his citizens and subjects, and their women.”# So the people should see their prince as being merciful and not cruel, but do not be totally against being cruel, for it has it’s own merits. One of the last points that he briefly mentions is that it is important to be feared especially if you have an army, because it is that reputation that will unite the prince’s men (in the belief that he is strong and competent).# This point is also practical in the way that if an army is not feared no one will have faith in it and many other countries may challenge the army believing that it would be a easy defeat. Machiavelli has another argument “concerning those who become princes by evil means.”# He believes that cruelty can also be used to benefit the prince but only in modesty. If a prince frequently relies on cruel acts then he will not live in power for long. Proper use of cruelty is only achieved when it is done “out of the need for safety” and when it is done swiftly as to make sure that the act is quickly forgotten, and the people can return to a feeling of safety.# His idea that cruelty should be swift is excellent, this way the citizens will feel more at ease with there prince, because if he were to drag out the atrocities then the people may feel the need to revolt to protect their personal freedoms and civil rights. Many people may think these are evil ideas, but it is completely practical, during Machiavelli’s era (and even today) a prince will always face a moment in this rule that he will have to act in a cruel manner, in no way is this statement cruel it is just a practical way of dealing with a inevitable situation. He also believes that “benefits ought to be given little by little, so that the flavour of them may last longer.”# As much as people may be discusted by this idea, the truth is that it is very bold. Everyone knows that politicians use gifts and benefits to there advantage, and it is an ideal way to keep the general population happy. Another idea that he considers is “in what way princes should keep their word.” Machiavelli believes that it is very praiseworthy for a prince to be considered trustworthy and not cunning, however this is not possible in real life.# “A prince must know how to use both what is proper to a man and what is proper to a beast…one without the other can not endure.# He must adopt that of a fox and that of a lion: for a lion is defenseless against snares, and a fox is defenseless against wolves”# This is an impressive point, and is very true, a prince must be able to be like a fox to see the traps and like a lion to terrify the wolves. This is a very practical opinion because there is no one on this earth that is truly trustworthy so a prince has to be able to sense a upcoming conflict, so in reality you have to always be cunning like a fox and at the same time be able to install fear into your opponents like a lion. Only with the fox and the lion working together, can the prince be truly successful. At the time when Machiavelli wrote the book the Prince, Italy was facing extremely troubling time. This influence is what drove Machiavelli to put together of the most practical solutions in hopes to mold the next desperately needed prince into the perfect leader. One needed to restore Italy to a unified and modern state, and hoped that after reading his political theories that Magnificent Lorenzo Medici would be that man.# Throughout the Prince Machiavelli came up with three excellent ideas first, that “it is better to be feared then loved,”# the second is “concerning those who become princes by evil means,”# and the third is “in what way princes should keep their word.”# From these argument some people may believe that Machiavelli is the pure embodyment of evil, but the truth is that he has only written what he believes to be what the deteriorating Italy needed. Bibliography: # Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince, (New York, Bantam Books, 1996) pg. 59 # Machiavelli, pg. 35 # Machiavelli, pg. 62 # Machiavelli, pg. 59 # Machiavelli, pg. 61 # Machiavelli, pg. 60 # Machiavelli, pg. 61 # Machiavelli, pg. 35 # Machiavelli, pg. 38 # Machiavelli, pg. 38 # Machiavelli, pg. 62 # Machiavelli, pg. 62 # Machiavelli, pg. 62 # Machiavelli, pg. 12 # Machiavelli, pg. 59 # Machiavelli, pg. 35 # Machiavelli, pg. 62 Word Count: 967
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