The Characteristics Of Leadership In Machiavelli's The Prince

The Prince needs to know “how to use well the nature of the beast” (60). He must think like an animal in matters that concern his ruling. If the Prince thinks as an animal his priorities would then be to ensure the security of the kingdom and his throne. His military strength will prevent

A prince has plenty to worry about during times of war and everyone is out to get you so you must be greedy and heinous in times of war. The prince declares that the nation state comes first before individuals.

So let a prince win and maintain his state: the means will always be judged honorable, and will be praised by everyone. For the vulgar are taken in by the appearance and the outcome of a thing, and in the world there is no one but the vulgar; the few have no place there when the many have somewhere to lean on (Machiavelli, The Prince)", have been discussed by many Philosophers, and these thoughts have been influenced by many philosophers. One example of a philosopher that the argument was influenced by was Plato, he believed in just rulers , “who ruled verse moral virtue”. Here Plato believes in rulers that rule the state and does not let their morals get in there way. According to The Republic, the basic ideas are referred to the view that ethics and politics overlap each other. This can be related to Machiavellis beliefs on one of the right ways a prince should rule is to not base morality on the way he decides to rule. Another source of translation of his idea is in : Politics and Vision : Continuity and Innovation in Western Political, which they refer to the prince as a political actor. The author, Sheldon Wolin, does this because he must “constantly re-discovers his identity in the role cast for him by the changing of time” Wolin emphasizes the importance of training men’s characters so that a virtue, for example, would

The Prince has a definite form, tone, and rhetoric. The form is pleasing and organized. He organizes it first into the three main types of principalities- hereditary, mixed, and free- pausing once to address the Kingdom of Darius, then moves to the various ways one can rise to be a prince- arms and ability, others arms and fortune, wickedness, others rising the prince up- then talks about how to rise a kingdom to be stronger- measured strength, ecclesiastical,

The Prince, a book written by Niccolo Machiavelli, was seen as a text about its coherent perspectives and noble concepts of Leadership. There is a term called “Machiavellian”. This term refers to “the belief that a ruler is justified in using any means necessary to stay in power”. Many people can point out many corrupt scandalous government officials that use deception and dishonesty to maintain their power or title. This

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

The Prince, written by Niccoló Machiavelli, is essentially a guide for to-be rulers on how to be successful, in running a state, monitoring political issues, and so on. The book is a handbook that was dedicated, as said by Machiavelli in the dedicatory letter, to Lorenzo de’ Medici, who was the governor of Florence at the time. Machiavelli discusses, in thorough detail, necessary characteristics that a leader should possess in order for him to become victorious in his reign. An important concept that Machiavelli address is how virtue and fortune connect and affect the ability of the ruler to keep power. In Chapter XVIII, he implicitly defines virtue as the qualities needed by a prince to rule effectively and in favor of the people.

A famous aristocrat named, Niccolo Machiavelli, wrote the book, “The Prince (1513), his most celebrated work, was a general treatise on the qualities the prince (that is, ruler) must have to maintain his power” Jacobus (84). Within this essay, he writes about the “Qualities of the Prince,” which is a guide for princes and future princes to follow, in order to be successful and keep their power. Machiavelli is very practical in his way of thinking, and doesn’t recommend princes to be good, on the contrary he suggests for them to be very practical. He states they should ensure power by direct and effective means. Modern politicians are likely to succeed by following most of Machiavelli’s recommendations. One

Machiavelli brought up many controversial and untraditional points regarding what a kingdom or prince was allowed to do to maintain power. The most extreme, being that the prince wasn't held to any moral code in the practice of maintaining power. A prince must be prepared to ward off any conflicting power even if it means breaking traditional moral codes. Other powers, Machiavelli believed, wouldn't be so kind in combat and a prince must fight back with equal or greater force. Another point is that it's better to be feared than loved. Machiavelli believed that love didn't

Niccolo Machiavelli is as manipulative in his way of thinking as Odysseus. In the eyes of Machiavelli, a leader should play the role of command, and to play this role a leader must be clever and inspire fear. For example, when speaking about men who have become princes by luck he says, “...unless they are men of great worth and ability, it is not reasonable to expect they know how to command…” (Machiavelli 3). If a leader does not know how to control his subjects, then keeping his position will prove to be difficult.

The advice given to leaders by Machiavelli in The Prince is still relevant today. The life of the current leader of Russia, Vladimir Putin shows us in many ways that the advice is still relevant.

In Machiavelli’s The Prince, Machiavelli challenges the thinking of the day in regards to leadership. It was often thought that a leader should be the example of godly leadership, since the monarch was appointed by God. Machiavelli questions whether this is in fact the best way to rule a kingdom, because after all people were wicked and thought only of themselves. He suggests that the best way to lead a kingdom may be to exhibit a level of cruelty and lead the people with fear.

While impartiality may let a prince avoid present dangers, they “follow the path of neutrality and come to ruin” (Machiavelli 95). Mussolini avoided this by forming a strong connection with the powerful German dictator, Adolf Hitler, who was impressed with Mussolini’s success. Before the start of World War II, the two nations signed the “Pact of Steel” confirming their alliance (“Benito” 1). Not only did Mussolini make strong relationships to show his power, but he also used the tactics of fear and deception to maintain the support of his people, thus strengthening his state. Machiavelli believed that “men have less hesitation about offending one who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared” and while it is preferable to be both loved and feared, between the two it is much safer to be feared (Machiavelli 72). Mussolini used the “Black Coats” to keep his people in line and often reminded them of how chaotic the country was before he came into power. He also utilized his training as a journalist to create propaganda that benefited the fascist regime. Eventually, despite his vast authority, it became quite clear that Mussolini was the subordinate partner in his pact with Hitler (“Mussolini”

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

Those private citizens who become princes through fortune alone do so with little effort, but they maintain their position only with a great deal; they meet no obstacle along their way since they fly to success, but all their problems arise when they have arrives…such men depend solely upon two very uncertain an unstable things: the will and the fortune of him who granted them