A Brief Look at Niccolo Machiavelli

Niccolo Machiavelli was born on May 3, 1469 in Florence. Machiavelli was considered one of the most controversial political philosophers of his time. Machiavelli began working in the Florence government at a young age, employed as a clerk and later as an ambassador to the “Holy Roman Emperor Maximilan, the King of France and Pope Julius II.” Throughout his employment with the government of Florence, Machiavelli began noticing the effects that one person had over an entire country. In 1513 Machiavelli wrote what would be one of his most renowned works “The Prince,” in which Machiavelli expresses his political ideas of ruling a

Niccolò Machiavelli was an activist of analyzing power. He believed firmly in his theories and he wanted to persuade everyone else of them as well. To comment on the common relationship that was seen between moral goodness and legitimate authority of those who held power, Machiavelli said that authority and power were essentially coequal.9 He believed that whomever had power obtained the right to command; but goodness does not ensure power. This implied that the only genuine apprehension of the administrative power was the attainment and preservation of powers which indirectly guided the maintenance of the state. That, to him, should have been the objective of all leaders. Machiavelli believed that one should do whatever it took, during the given circumstance, to keep his people in favor of him and to maintain the state. Thus, all leaders should have both a sly fox and ravenous wolf inside of him prepared to release when necessary.10

Machiavelli was one of the first “modern” political thinkers in the late 1400s and early 1500s. He addresses to a government with principalities, in which the power is either inherited or the power is attained through wickedness.

The definition of Machiavellism is “the view that politics is amoral and that any means however unscrupulous can justifiably be used in achieving political power.” Now, the very man behind Machiavellianism is Niccolo Machiavelli. Machiavelli was known in Florence for his role in politics. Machiavelli was the man in politics for power and corruption. Because of this, his creditability for his work The Prince is questioned. Was The Prince used to corrupt the princes or other men in the royalty factor in monarchies? While Machiavelli had some different views on some topics, his twenty-third chapter appeared to be something many may agree with.

Niccolò Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat, politician, writer and philosopher during the Renaissance period. He was a significant founder of modern political science, specifically in the field of political ethics. He wrote his most famous work, The Prince, after the Medici family had returned to power and he was removed from the political scene. The devious and corrupt sort of politicians he describes in The Prince are the inspiration for the now widely used term “Machiavellian.” Machiavelli and his widely read book gained huge infamy because of his endorsement of what the majority would consider to be highly immoral behavior.

Celenza,’s book, Machiavelli: A Portrait, offers an account of Machiavelli’s life, placing Machiavelli within the context of his time. His depiction of Machiavelli’s religion proves interesting as well. Machiavelli mentions God throughout all of his works, however, God, Celenza argues, remains unimportant to Machiavelli. Celenza denies the possibility of Machiavelli as an atheist because that identity did not exist in that time period. Celenza’s Machiavelli uses irony extensively in regards to God and the church, especially targeting ecclesiastical princedoms. Part of the issue regarding Christianity for Machiavelli lay with the “disorder” and power in Rome. The Papacy, inherently corrupt at this point, “have states and do not defend them, have subjects and do not govern them.” Not only did Machiavelli find fault in the Church, but also with Christians. Like many of the other authors, Celenza points out Machiavelli’s argument that the Christians exalted humility, the fact that life on earth represented only a transitory pilgrimage. Christianity garners criticism from Machiavelli for not striving for strength or power, men of action are needed to keep the city-state from

Niccolo Machiavelli is undoubtedly one of the most enigmatic figures in the long evolving history of political thought of modern Europe. No other doctrine of any other political theorist has been so intensely dissected, read, reread and researched upon even after five hundred years. Machiavelli has been accused and accepted, revered and rejected, celebrated and condemned…very few political theorists have actually managed to cause such diverse reactions in the minds of people all over the world.

However, he embodied what it meant to be a humanist, in spite of his out of the box approach. He was quite pragmatic in his approach. He new that the path of the newly appointed prince would not be easy, as there would be several obstacles. However, the prince had what it took to succeed, in spite of the various challenges. Machiavelli proposed that “princes could benefit their subjects only by maintaining a firm grip on power, if necessary through deceit and manipulation” (Hunt et al. 442). This may sound problematic; however, it was important that the prince do what was necessary, by any means. This all stemmed from Machiavelli’s simple advice that the “end justified the means.” Thus, there were situations that would warrant the prince deceiving his people. Also, he had very little trust in the masses, as well as their support for the new pince. Therefore, it was in the prince’s best interest that he was feared, which was a better option than being loved. This was because in good times, man was known to make many promises; however, in times of hardship, they all went against the prince, and he no longer had their support. Thus, in order to ensure his future, it was best that he was feared, so that they would follow his word, in fear of punishment. However, it was no way Machiavelli’s intent for the prince to take advantage of the people. It was mainly intended for him to be

Niccolò Di Bernardo Dei Machiavelli was one of the first major philosophers to pull away from the religious side of reason. Breaking away from traditional views and values he became a modern thinker by looking at power through naturalistic and realistic senses. Unlike the views of Hobbes, Machiavelli had a contrasting view on the idea of a sovereign. Where Hobbes would explain a ruler to be fair and never unjust towards his people, Machiavelli would suggest a Prince must be ruthless, but not hated. Machiavelli also believed “A prince ought to have no other aim or thought, nor select anything else for his study, than war and its rules and discipline; for this is the sole art that belongs to him who rule.” The art of war was something Machiavelli believed a prince should always have in mind at all times. He believed that it was through war that one

Relying on the needs of the society of that time, Machiavelli comes to the conclusion that the most important task is the formation of a single Italian state (Machiavelli 15). Developing his thoughts, the author comes to the following inference: only a prince can become a leader capable of leading people and building a unified state. It is not a concrete historical personality but someone abstract, symbolic, possessing such qualities that in the aggregate are inaccessible to any living ruler. That is why Machiavelli devotes most of his research to the issue of what qualities should the prince possess to fulfill the historical task of developing a new state. The written work is constructed strictly logically and objectively. Even though the image of an ideal prince is abstract, Machiavelli argues that he should be ruthless, deceiving, and selfish.

Niccoló Machiavelli is perhaps the greatest political thinker in history. He was a historian, musician, a poet, and he wrote comedies. He liked poetry as much as he liked philosophy. Machiavelli wrote and collected poems. His works, which are inspired by his life experiences, have been read by many of the worlds greatest politicians. Niccoló Machiavelli’s writing was influenced by the Medici family, the Soderini government in Italy, and his own diplomatic career. His great work, The Prince, is legendary for its impact in politics and its controversial proposals.

However, that said, some of his ideas continue to attract philosophical engagements even by the so-called first rank philosophers. This qualifies the incorporation of some of his ideologies into any comprehensive philosophical survey. This paper therefore zeros in on his political ideals that have culminated into what is known as Machiavelli’s political philosophy of ‘Machiavellism’ (Meinecke, 1965). The paper seeks to explore his political ideologies in general. Further, the paper seeks to establish based on any real evidence whether Machiavelli is indeed a ‘break’ in the political philosophy or otherwise. In keeping with the latter

Niccolo Machiavelli, a late 15th century political adviser and a theorist who argued that we shouldn’t think that politicians are immoral and are simply bad for lying, dissembling and maneuvering. A good politician in Machiavelli’s remarkable views isn’t the one who’s friendly, honest and kind. It’s someone, however is occasionally dark and who knows how to defend, enrich and bring honor to the state which is also an extremely important goal. Being pleasant and compassionate may well be a virtue in general but what citizens mostly need from their rulers is effectiveness, which may well be call upon some darker moves. Once we understand these basic requirements we tend to be clearer of what we want from our politicians.

In conclusion, Niccolo Machiavelli was a brilliant person. He could have been the biggest and most successful ruler of all times. His intentions were to help weak rulers and kingdoms become strong and successful. The term Machiavellian comes from a misconception of people that could not handle and interpret the truth in the way Machiavelli was writing it. The book The Prince was written for strong understanding leaders that could interpret teaching in a way that would be helpful for the people and themselves

Niccolo Machiavelli is considered the father of modern political science. Living in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth-century's, Machiavelli was a citizen of the city-state of Florence where he served as a secretary to the city council and as a diplomatic envoy for 14 years. The Prince was published five years after his death and is regarded as his most famous work. The Prince is an articulate and precise explanation of the way to use the lesson of history in politics as an example to learn and build ideas from. The Prince can be broken up into four parts. Firstly, Machiavelli explains how a prince gets a state. Secondly, he explains how a prince holds on to a state. Thirdly, he