The Prince; Questions
1. During the time just previous to the book, Machiavelli held civic posts within the government while the Medici was out of power. During a point, the Medici regained political power and Mr. Machiavelli’s job was taken. Machiavelli then wrote, The Prince, as what appears to be a plea to the
Medici.
2. Three theme’s
a. Human Nature – Machiavelli numerously brings up traits of the human nature explaining how humans are happy if they aren’t the victim. Also, humans will become selfish as well as greedy in adversity. “Love endures by a bond… scoundrels may break whenever it serves their advantage”.
b. Warcraft – Machiavelli finds it of great importance to have a strong military saying “the presence of sound military forces
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Machiavelli’s opinion is that being feared is better than being loved since individuals can more easily break the bond of love whereas fear “is supported by the dread of pain” . In my opinion a ruler cannot be both loved and hated by the same individual as actions from this ruler either build a love or hate emotions for the Prince.
9. Machiavelli describes Hannibal as having “inhuman cruelty” but with “boundless valor” making him revered from enemies. It appears that the author is suggesting that he is a great role model for future princes as he describes Hannibal as “wonderful” in chapter 17. In addition, Machiavelli believes Scipio is an “excellent man” with “consistent military discipline” which allowed Scipio to become glorious. Machiavelli brings both rulers up to show that his opinion that being feared is better for a Prince in these real world examples.
10. In chapter 18, the 2 qualities for a great leader are symbolized by the fox and lion. For example, the fox is smart to escape but physically weak to defend himself where the lion lacks knowledge to escape but is physically strong enough to defend himself. In the myth Chiron, the wisest of the centaurs changes form to escape just like a leader needs to change depending on the situation to be an excellent
Machiavelli thinks it is better for the prince to be feared than loved. For a prince who is loved will be compassionate towards others, mainly his soldiers. When danger is at bay his men will hold him in the highest regard. Should an attack occur they will very quickly turn their backs on him. He may be viewed as weak and untrustworthy, thus easier to overtake. As he explains, “And men are less hesitant about harming someone who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared because love is held together by a chain of obligation which, since men are a sorry lot, is broken on every occasion in which their own self-interest is concerned: but fear is held together by dread of punishment which will never abandon you” (p.46). If he is loved rather than hated he can never keep an army of soldiers under his command. However, he must not be so feared to the point he is hated to do so he must not take what does not belong to him, and keep his hands off the wives of his subjects.
Machiavelli tackles the question “is it better to be loved or feared by people?”. Giving his insight on the matter, it is clear to see the benefits and downside to both. Every prince should desire to be perceived as a kind ruler rather than cruel one. However, he must avoid misusing or overusing his compassion. Cesare Borgia was considered cruel, yet his oppressiveness ended up resulting in peace and unity in Romagna (Machiavelli,trans; W. K. Marriott). Meanwhile on the other hand of mercifulness, when the Florentines tried to avoid cruelty, this allowed Pistoia to be destroyed (Machiavelli,trans; W. K. Marriott). Machiavelli argues once a
Machiavelli also presents the idea that the power of a leader depends more on the qualities of the man than on of god. Thats the matter, loved and feared-qualities need there limits the same way as anything else in a social relation. Machiavelli himself stating that a man who makes himself loved than who makes himself feared; the reason is that love is a link to obligation, which men, because they are rotten, and will break any time soon. Machiavelli complicates the nation of good as purely subordinate power, arguing that the excess of “good” can actually do harm. In this case too much clemency can lead to uprisings and civil war. Cruelty what Machiavelli believes in, states that it can serve the greater good. I personally disagree with Machiavelli's text, I think love is stronger than fear. A commander loved by his soldiers will defeat a commander feared by his soldiers in almost all battles, but the feared commander is less subject to arbitrary chance. Its not only love that can destroy a man, so can fear.
Machiavelli’s interpretation of human nature was greatly shaped by his belief in God. In his writings, Machiavelli conceives that humans were given free will by God, and the choices made with such freedom established the innate flaws in humans. Based on that, he attributes the successes and failure of princes to their intrinsic weaknesses, and directs his writing towards those faults. His works are rooted in how personal attributes tend to affect the decisions one makes and focuses on the singular commanding force of power. Fixating on how the prince needs to draw people’s support, Machiavelli emphasizes the importance of doing what is best for the greater good. He proposed that working toward a selfish goal, instead of striving towards a better state, should warrant punishment. Machiavelli is a practical person and always thought of pragmatic ways to approach situations, applying to his notions regarding politics and
A prince should master the art of war and dedicate the entirety of his rule to the mastery of that art or be prepared to lose control of his state. Is it better to be loved or feared? It would appear that Machiavelli would rather be feared than loved but, in my opinion, it seems that he only chooses fear over love due to his mistrust in man and inability to have everyone love him. In order to do what is in the best interests of the state, he believed fear must be instilled in people to discourage any disorder and remind people of the ramifications that follow misdeeds. Unfortunately, this mindset was developed by observing the rise to power of the Borgia family, which was known for corruption, greed, warmongering, deception, and murder. Should a Prince be honest or lie? The text explains that a prince should be honest but only when it is in the best interest of his state. While integrity is an important characteristic it is also unrealistic for a prince to fight a war honestly when his enemies use lies and deceit as a recipe for
2) Another is that it is better for a prince to be feared then hated or loved.
Has somebody ever muttered the words "It is best to be feared than loved "? In any context, this could look like remorseless; however, the deeper the meanings are reached once with a glance at Machiavelli's morals and arguments achieved. Inside this essay, I will discuss the deserves, shortfalls and contravene arguments of the philosopher political philosophy and system. Also, I will be able to check up on Machiavelli's personal history; furthermore to grasp abundant any what and the way drive this argument.
The Prince is essentially a guide book on how to acquire and maintain political power. We can think of it as a collection of rules and methods to achieve a level of superior authority. Its main focus is that the ends—no matter how immoral—justify the means for preserving political authority. While some may agree with this mindset of thinking many today dismiss Machiavelli as a cynic. The book shows rulers how it is that they should act to survive in the real world to maintain authority. While Niccolo Machiavelli’s ideas can be radical, they helped to spark a revolution in political philosophy. Although his ideas might have not been completely original, they were very different and unheard of at the time, The Prince, was published. Machiavelli uses many methods to convey his messages including biblical comparisons and of course metaphors. This character can be viewed in several manners. He is almighty and powerful, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals or have his ways. While this quality does qualify him to be a might leader it also raises the question of immorality. How far will one go to maintain order? Would you stop at nothing to achieve this task? Machiavelli shows this by saying, “it is
Machiavelli, a brilliant Italian writer who brought the question “Is it better to be loved or feared?” caused us to think how Shakespeare interpreted that question. Through Shakespeare’ s play Macbeth he brought his feelings and his interpretation. In multiple accounts he shows that there has to be a balance between love and fear and not just skewed to one. Shakespeare shows some appreciation for what Machiavelli is saying.
Machiavelli Essay Machiavelli claims that it is better to be feared than loved as a leader. It is good to be both feared and loved, but fear triumphs if there is only one option. People are more driven by fear than love because it is human nature to avoid the consequences rather than collect the reward. Overall, I agree with Machiavelli that it is better to be feared than loved because fear gives a leader more strength and confidence, which is needed to be successful.
Machiavelli addresses the topic of whether it is safer to be cruel or loved. He states:
However, to understand and comprehend the teachings of the relatives and the Vietnamese religious community, the adolescent children must understand the Vietnamese language. The language and communication difficulties are a result of the acculturation gap, which affects the bonding process between family members (Ho, 2010, p. 2). According to Huyen, a Vietnamese mother interviewed in the study, she stated:
The last of the three major themes is cruelty. Machiavelli says that its better for a leader to be feared than to be loved. Love can be a lie but fear cannot.
Eric Arthur Blair, under the pseudonym of George Orwell, composed many novels in his lifetime that were considered both politically rebellious and socially incorrect. Working on the dream since childhood, Orwell would finally gain notoriety as an author with his 1945 novel Animal Farm, which drew on personal experiences and deeply rooted fear to satirically critique Russian communism during its expansion. Noticing the impact he made, he next took to writing the novel 1984, which similarly criticized totalitarianism by depicting an overwhelmingly melancholy dystopian society. 1984 achieved similar success and opened the public’s eyes to the dangers of the spread of despotic regimes throughout the world. By examining both Animal Farm and
Trying to find memories is like looking for treasure. You look at the surface and see something mediocre, but you dig deep and find something cool, pretty, and meaningful. It took a while to think of a fond memory, but once I thought of some, it was hard to choose a favorite. Growing up I have had many great experiences in the form of vacations. Between going to Disney World, owning a vacation home, hanging out with my grandparents in Arizona, traveling to Canada and more. They all make amazing memories that I will forever cherish. The vacation spot we go to the most, though, is Wisconsin Dells. A few times I have been allowed to invite friends to come with. When I am allowed to bring friends, it is always a ginormous amount of fun. We goof off in the hotel room, play in the arcades, and swim in the water parks.