The Prince

In "The Prince," Niccolò Machiavelli makes the utilitarian argument that, if it were for the benefit of the whole state, a prince may hurt some individuals and would be justified in his actions. He suggests that a reputation of cruelty attributed to a new prince can and should be dismissed, as the use of physical force to subdue a people is almost inevitable, if the prince were to retain his power. "He who neglects what is done for what ought to be done, sooner effects his ruin than his preservation." While Machiavelli 's essay was not well-received at the time it was delivered, its theme on how best for a monarch to maintain power seems to repeat itself in modern dictatorships. At face value, Saddam Hussein of Iraq is a prime example. While he himself may have not necessarily read the work of Niccolò Machiavelli, his actions in allegedly brutalizing those who rose against him so that he may retain power are in accordance with Machiavelli 's political philosophy. This aspect of Machiavelli 's argument, which justifies the suffering of few for the benefit of the whole is largely utilitarian. As such, it is worth reexamining the theory of utilitarianism, which drives this aspect of Machiavelli 's argument.

Machiavelli is unapologetic about the asserted inevitability of a ruler committing immoral, or even evil, deeds to obtain power, but advises that the suffering should be minimized and the injured party should eventually profit. He writes, “Well-used cruelty (if one can speak well of evil) one may call these atrocities that are committed at a stroke, in order to secure one’s

assuming in this case that there is a provocation, that there is some sort of “reason” for retaliation, yet Machiavelli takes more of a proactive stance on violence. Machiavelli informs his prince of leaders who have benefitted in killing their enemies before they have had a chance to do him harm. He mentions the duke, Alexander, who, “killed as many [dispossessed rulers] as he could lay hands on” (Machiavelli, Chapter 7, Page 28), and Agathocles the Sicilian who ruled his people so ruthlessly- killing the richest and

The foreign policy of the United States can be defined as a labyrinth- a set of complex intricacies which either lack comprehension or are characterized by meticulous thought. Established during a period of ideological warfare and domestic hysteria, it is evident the Truman Doctrine was conceived with a disregard for the future stability of American international affairs. Engulfed within a period marked by massive power struggles and distorted accusations, the Truman Doctrine may appear minimal in regard to alterations of the United States international attitude. However, the Doctrine acted as a catalyst for the shift in America’s foreign policy objectives and vision. It is clear the Truman Doctrine produced detrimental consequences in regard to the international policy of the United States, stability of foreign countries, and continuing repercussions in the modern day.

The main role of the Secretary of State is to serve as the President’s Chief Foreign Affairs adviser. The Secretary also “carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State department & the Foreign Service of the United States”. Some of the Secretary of State’s specific tasks includes “conducting negotiations relating to U.S. foreign affairs, granting & issuing passports to American citizens and exequaturs to foreign consuls in the United States, supervising the administration of U.S. immigration laws abroad, and promoting beneficial economic intercourse between the United States and other

As I was reading the book The False Prince by, Jennifer A. Nielsen the main character Sage changes throughout the book. The book begins when Sage is in an orphanage, a wealthy man name Conner is picking up orphans that he can train and become prince one day. There were three orphans training to become Prince Jaron. What they don’t know is that Sage is actually Prince Jaron. Everyone thought that Prince Jaron was killed by pirates but that is not true. In the end, Sage won the battle against the other two orphans and he was crown king of Carthya. The author of the book develops Sage through actions, internal thinking, and dialogue.

On April 21, 2016 Prince Rogers Nelson aka music popstar prince was found unconscious in his million dollar home. When police were called to the scene he was pronounced dead. There are more who believed he had been diagnosed HIV/AIDS and was tired of hiding for pleasing his fans and for his life.

Machiavelli would go so far that it is within every right for more powerful states to conquer and subjugate weaker states because if another was to conquer that weaker state, they may have the advantage over you and destroy your state. Preemptive strikes, imperialism, and unprovoked wars are fully justified to Machiavelli because you either conquer or wait till your enemy attacks you. To some skeptics, acting in self interest is the only form of morality in the state of nature. (Forde, 9) Thucydides creates a moral argument that there is no justice between states of unequal power, and it is actually immoral for weaker states to resist

The Constitution of the United States divide powers between both Congress and President in a way to prevent tyranny. The legislative and executive branches have major roles in America’s form of government. Each have significant roles but would overlay within each other especially when it comes to foreign policy. In the process of foreign policy, both sides tend to collide whether it may be Congress against the executive branch or vice versa. It becomes something contradictory in which Political Scientist Edwin Corwin calls it an “invitation to struggle”. This paper looks to examine the “struggle” in detail, set out the roles and responsibilities of Congress and the President in foreign policy as stated by the Constitution and then explain

Machiavelli believed wicked means were to be used to achieve a virtuous outcome. In his eyes, a successful ruler was able to balance ethical virtue with harsh, sometimes even merciless pragmatism.11 If this meant partaking in the most ruthless acts of murder, brutalizing,

People are unlikely to overthrow a ruler that they fear, for they dread the punishments of failure. If the ruler is not feared by the people, he will eventually upset enough of them that they will rise up against him. They will overthrow him because of his perceived weakness, and his name and image will be shamed in the eyes of both his government and his people. Machiavelli believes that the state is completely separate from the ruler’s private life. No matter how immoral or heartless the ruler may be in private, only his public image is important. A ruler can be a terrible, sleazy person on their own time, and when not involved with matters of the state, but at any time when the leader is involved in politics and the state, you cannot afford to injure the image of the ruler or else anarchy will develop. With this kind of rebellion can come revolution, war, and many other tragedies that could be otherwise avoided.

When examining Machiavelli political ideals, it is hard to look at it without saying this is cruel and not ideal in any sense. Machiavelli is a prime example for a strong leader that pursues justice through unification and has shown to be very open-minded. Justice doesn’t just come through cruelty and strength, it also requires intelligence with careful studies. As exhibited in the prior quote, he takes in historical mistakes and success to shape his ideal. To have a culture with justice, Machiavelli pushes that “It is necessary for a prince who wish to maintain his position to learn how not to be good, and to use this knowledge or not to use it accordingly” (224). It is quite evident that Machiavelli is willing to use the full extent of his power without fear. Through his willingness and open-mindedness, he examines both side, good and the bad, for the benefit of his country. He believes only those that can utilize both knowledge is fit for the position of being a prince. When he says knowledge, it goes deep into the studies of history and past experiences. It is shown time and time again throughout his

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

The USA exercises its foreign policy through financial aid. For example, scarcity relief in North Korea provides not only humanitarian aid but also a base for the development of democratic ideals and bodies.

Speaking of such qualities as ruthless and mercy, Machiavelli argues that every ruler would like to be regarded as merciful and not cruel. Another thing is that often in order to retain power the ruler has to show cruelty. If the state is threatened with chaos or mess, the task of the prince is to prevent this even if it is necessary to arrange some reprisals. After all, with respect to the rest of the citizens, these executions will become a noble deed since riots and chaos would bring suffering to them (Machiavelli 24). Machiavelli provides an example of Cesare Borgia whose cruelty led to peace in the state. In that way, the