Machiavelli: His political ideas

l. Machiavelli's ideas were based on the political instability of his time.

Machiavelli argues that it is better for a leader to be feared than to be loved, because fear brings order and loyalty.

Machiavelli uses the example of Cesare Borgia as a leader who used cruelty to bring order and unity.

B. He uses the example of the Florentines as leaders who failed because they did not use cruelty.

C. Machiavelli argues that human beings are ungrateful, fickle and deceitful creatures who must be mistrusted by the prince and controlled through fear.

A. Machiavelli should be in part excused for his errors of thinking because he was trying to deal with the problems of his time.

B. His ideas were used by totalitarian leaders.

C. He was wrong about human nature, not recognizing that by treating people like animals they would become like animals.

His theories will lead to revolution and/or failures of

This study will provide a summary and criticism of several related ideas of Machiavelli from his work The Prince.

There is no way to understand or appreciate the pragmatic

approach of Machiavelli to political thought and practice without first recognizing the political reality in which Machiavelli lived. In other words, as editor Bergen writes in his Introduc-

. . .
an who is loved than one who is feared . . . " (Machiavelli 48). So Machiavelli is basing his pragmatic political ideas on two basic elements. First, Machiavelli looked around and saw a political realm which was split and endangered by powers which did not present a possibility for unification. Instead, what he saw was a realm which was led by leaders who were not willing to apply the kind of force he thought necessary for "peace and loyalty." He saw a frightening leader as the only possibility for bringing about that peace and loyalty. He devised a theory of leadership, which would produce a prince who would be feared by his subjects and able by force to pressure those subjects into obeying. Secondly, Machiavelli had developed a theory of human nature, which saw people as basically greedy and selfish and motivated more by fear than by love. As a political theorist, he was trying to come up with a way to create a society, which was unlike the one in which he lived. To Machiavelli, the only way to create a society of order, peace and loyalty was to frighten the selfishness and greed out of the citizens. The question, then, again, is whether Machiavelli is correct in his premises. If he is correct, if all political societies
. . .

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Approximate Word count = 2219
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)

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