Who Is Machiavelli's The Prince Still Relevant Today

In the year 1531 the famous political philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli’s wrote a treatise entitled The Prince. It explains the proper guidelines for a prince to successfully lead a republic. Although this sixteenth century politician’s main purpose was to unite a separate Italy, his political theories have been taken into deep consideration and are commonly exercised in politics today. If Machiavelli were alive today he would agree that qualities of the current president Barack Obama coincide with his prince-like standards and make him the ideal candidate for the 2012 Presidential Election.

Political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli’s, “The Prince”, exemplifies an early depiction of several “modern” ideological principles that would sustain and preserve nations (especially after the separation of the church and state) in the sixteenth century. In this critically acclaimed work, Machiavelli satirically bequeaths a map of qualities that princes should steadfastly uphold and advance. Expressly, the qualities mapped out are frequently criticized as, “crafty, cunning and unscrupulous methods by which a prince can acquire and maintain political power”. One of the most prominent principles that almost served as a catalyst and enchiridion for Machiavelli’s “ethical” behavior as an eminent political figure of Florence, Italy was, “the end

History 's most prominent leaders have shown extreme congruence. These leaders almost always hold reality over ethics. How can we classify lying and manipulative leaders as immoral when their duplicity is the very reason a society can maintain stability? This idea has of "means justifying the ends" has been a staple in History 's most prosperous of societies. Machiavelli 's novel The Prince was the first stab at understanding this human tendency of what is now known as Machiavellian. Machiavelli grasped the sad reality of our world and did not fall prey to other 's idealistic propaganda. Great leaders understand what the endless potential they hold, they can manipulate their followers to make best of what is possible and above all they understand sacrifice. Modern day Machiavellians and successful leaders think realistically and communicate through idealism. No matter the extremes of your belief, utilizing Machiavellian tactics have the capability to bring anyone to power.

The Prince by Machiavelli is a book full of advice for rulers on how to rule their kingdom. This essay compares the work of Macbeth by Shakespeare and the Prince and determines whether Macbeth was a good ruler. Macbeth is the main character in the play, who became king by overthrowing the former king. This essay reviews factors from the Prince which are visually perceived in the play Macbeth, such as the topics of an army, principalities, and the demeanor of a ruler.

Machieavelli’s The Prince serves to demonstrate the relationship between virtue and fortune by which a prince gains and maintains his power. Though a prince may achieve power through fortune, either by luck or wealth, he will not be able to maintain his power without the execution of virtu, a characteristic indicating strength and skillfulness. Machiavelli demonstrates how the concept of virtu is inconsistent with the conventional denotation of moral excellence, such as charity, truthfulness, compassion, etc., for every action the prince makes must be taken into account in terms of its affect on the state. Though Machiavelli advises for the prince to inspire fear among his subjects rather than love, it is crucial for the prince to emanate

Outside people relations, Vlad embodied one of the most crucial principle Machiavelli stressed in “The Prince,” Principle 10 - How the Strength of All States Should be Measured. Machiavelli believes that for a prince to maintain his control over the state in times of war, he must be ready to fight for his people. Vlad went beyond that by succeeding his predecessors through weaponizing Wallachia for battle and personally leading the charge against neighboring states. His first hurdle was his confrontation with Hungary where “he tried to maintain a fragile peace, skillfully balancing the interests of the Hungarian and the Ottoman Empire in Wallachia. However...conflict broke out between Wallachia and Hungary…[eventually] Vlad succeeded to obtain

Nichollo Machiavelli's book “The Prince” was published in 1532 and ever since then, has been a handbook used by many throughout history to staying in power. In this book Machiavelli uses his experiences through his position in the both the government and the military, to give advice to others who are either seeking power or trying to remain in power. The book is divided into several chapters, each giving situation specific advice on how one should rule to obtain power or remain in it

In Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics", the concept of knowledge is expressed by the author as truth of the soul which guides one to find the virtuous middle ground between excess and defect (Aristotle, Pg. 126-128). This aspiration to intellectual virtue is a political one because it is an attempt at doing the right thing and achieving the "good". Within Book VI, Aristotle identifies three different kinds of knowledge: scientific, craft and practical (Aristotle, Pg. 128). Scientific knowledge, as described by Aristotle, is comprised of necessarily eternal truths which are "ungenerated and imperishable" (Aristotle, Pg. 129). Knowledge of science, therefore, must be concerned with the unchanging truths of the natural world. Craft or the intellectual

Machiavelli did not seek to change the worldview of leadership when he composed The Prince in 1513. However, The Prince later became widely praised and criticized for its ruthless and immoral tactics for a ruler to gain and hold power. Machiavelli wrote The Prince as a guide to gain power; he wrote it in a blunt way without flowery language so that anyone who read the book would understand exactly what was required to gain and hold absolute power. One of the main focuses of the book is an explanation of the characteristics of an ideal prince and how those defined traits can help one hold and maintain power.

In this paper, I will argue that a ruler should be beast-like and dishonest when it is beneficial. In section one, I will argue that deception is necessary to obtains one’s self-interests. Following that, being beast-like is necessary to keep a position of power such as being a ruler or politician. Lastly, I will present that it is better to be feared than loved. The ideas in The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli, are known to be relevant in society today along with its time.

The Prince, by Niccoló Machiavelli, is a how to rule guide for sovereigns. It was written in 1513 but published only in 1532, nearly five years after Machiavelli’s death. The book was composed to tell sovereigns how to rule, but some scholars say it is more on how not to rule. From how to act as a prince to how not to attack in war, Machiavelli discusses it all. He was a regular citizen in Florence, but claimed he knew more about the art of ruling than princes did, he watched Italy rise and fall and decided to write The Prince in hopes that Lorenzo de Medici, the prince at the time, would read it and put it to use. Machiavelli claimed that if a prince were to read his book and follow his guidance, he would have no problem ruling and go down

I think his lack of faith in people played a big part in how Macheavelli's works reflect the political realities of Renaissance Italy. The more I read about how Macheavelli used fear to control his people the more I understand why he did it. He loved his land and the people that occupied it, and the people could see that in him. At the same time he used his power to make people fear him and want to follow him. However I feel that his letters to Francesco Vettori in Rome make this clear enough. This combination of political elements, and Machiavelli's contemplative lifestyle, produced a work he wrote in just his first several months on the farm in late in 1513; The Prince. He originally dedicated it to the de' Medici family who were in control

Humans are born with the tendency to look out for one another and care for each other. A person can learn otherwise through their life experiences, but it is there at the beginning of life—it comes naturally. Although Machiavelli suggests otherwise in “The Prince”, justice is present in life in the same way. To put it simply, justice exists by nature.

Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince examines the nature of power and his views of power are still somewhat in existence today. I'll discuss this in this essay, emphasizing the following theses. Machiavelli discusses power over the people, dictatorial power, and power with people, shared power. While it is possible for power with to attain greater prevalence in society, it will not completely eliminate power over. In The Prince, Machiavelli discusses two distinct groups of people, the political elite, including nobles and other princes, and the general public. Today in the United States, the first group, the political elite, includes political leaders, religious leaders, business leaders and the leaders of

Niccolo Machiavelli’s abstract work of The Prince discusses politics and government and focuses in not only acquiring power, but also how to maintain it. Throughout his work, one of the most prevalent yet disputed themes is between the acquirement of states between principalities and republics. The Prince shows a predominant and constant debate on which group will excel in acquiring power. However, despite Machiavelli’s harsh criticisms on principalities, his work does not solely praise or focus on the excellence of republics. In fact, as Machiavelli continues to speak and provide examples about the successes and failures of both republics and principalities, it becomes clearer that the lone purpose of The Prince is to merely provide tactics in political governance, instruction on how to maintain power once it is acquired, and most importantly, advice on how to become a great leader.