Sign in with Facebook
Paul's Reviews > The Prince
The Prince
by
by
In this book, Machiavelli makes his purpose clear: how to get power and keep it.
No happiness. No warm and fuzzy pats on the back. Definitely no hugs. No words of encouragement. Definitely nothing about being nice.
Being nice, in politics, in war, in struggles for power, often ends with one person winning and the other person being in prison, disgraced, exiled, or dead.
That was the context in which Machiavelli wrote this book. Italy at the time was a collection of warring states, not united. One power would seize control, and then it would be lost when that ruler died, or, worse, made a horrible mistake.
Machiavelli did the best thing he could - he took a step back, observed, took notes, and then presented his findings to the person he felt had the most promise at the time.
I love reading reviews about how the books is so this and that, so diabolical and evil and mean, and yet how so many people divorce it from the context it was written in, as if it was created in a vacuum. Remember, people - in his time, if you were a leader, you had some seriously scary decisions to make, and there was no room for emotion, for warmth, nor for sentimentality.
Sure, it might sound like a really screwed up and horrible way to live and think, but when you are a leader of a nation beset on all sides by those who would like nothing more than to invade your country, raze it, and then subject your people to being occupied (or worse), you do what you need to do in order to survive. When you are fighting for survival, all ends do justify the means because the goal is survival. Period.
Machiavelli understood this, and the product was this book. There is a damn good reason why so many people started calling him "the devil." Why the book was put on the Catholic Index of banned books.
The book makes no promises about being nice or this or that. It delivers on what it promises - how a person can gain and acquire power and keep it, and the sometimes ruthless actions necessary to maintain it and protect one's own self.
No happiness. No warm and fuzzy pats on the back. Definitely no hugs. No words of encouragement. Definitely nothing about being nice.
Being nice, in politics, in war, in struggles for power, often ends with one person winning and the other person being in prison, disgraced, exiled, or dead.
That was the context in which Machiavelli wrote this book. Italy at the time was a collection of warring states, not united. One power would seize control, and then it would be lost when that ruler died, or, worse, made a horrible mistake.
Machiavelli did the best thing he could - he took a step back, observed, took notes, and then presented his findings to the person he felt had the most promise at the time.
I love reading reviews about how the books is so this and that, so diabolical and evil and mean, and yet how so many people divorce it from the context it was written in, as if it was created in a vacuum. Remember, people - in his time, if you were a leader, you had some seriously scary decisions to make, and there was no room for emotion, for warmth, nor for sentimentality.
Sure, it might sound like a really screwed up and horrible way to live and think, but when you are a leader of a nation beset on all sides by those who would like nothing more than to invade your country, raze it, and then subject your people to being occupied (or worse), you do what you need to do in order to survive. When you are fighting for survival, all ends do justify the means because the goal is survival. Period.
Machiavelli understood this, and the product was this book. There is a damn good reason why so many people started calling him "the devil." Why the book was put on the Catholic Index of banned books.
The book makes no promises about being nice or this or that. It delivers on what it promises - how a person can gain and acquire power and keep it, and the sometimes ruthless actions necessary to maintain it and protect one's own self.
Sign into Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ to see if any of your friends have read
The Prince.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
Finished Reading
December 10, 2008
– Shelved
Comments Showing 1-6 of 6 (6 new)
date
newest »
newest »
actually, there is much machiavelli says about being nice and giving theoretical hugs. albeit towards an ends of power grappling, but either way, the benefits of liberalities is discussed, in depth i might add, with well-serving attributes not only mentioned but encouraged.
Good review. However, this is not something that was going on only in his time. I think politicians today are far worse than those of Machiavellian time. I agree with you in not seeing anything evil about the book, it's a scientific approach to the theory of rule- what works and what doesn't. very simple.
I agree, and yet think you're forgetting something important.The prince does not do these things to gain power, or to survive - at least not in solidarity. The goal behind the prince, behind his sometimes cruel ways and behind this way of politics in general, is not just to guide a prince how to maintain his specific power, it is, in the end, how to benefit and "save" all the country and humans, from heir own bad nature.
I think we agree - the prince does not use these methods because he wants to play the game. He does so because he has to. Because human nature is so horrible, it will not let you rule itself and point it towards the good, safety and protection, and equality. This is part of the beauty in the prince and in Machiavelli's (brilliant) way of thought - he does not tell a prince how he should run a country, how things should be or how he would like them to be. He talks about how things, practically, are (in contrast with other philosophers of his time and after. If looking in his eyes, I guess I can include Voltare in this list, and more...). As Machiavelli said (I do not remember the exact quotation, but): if humans were good, this would not be wise advice at all. But as human nature is wicked, and will only want to pull you down, you have to do so...
And now, to the point. Machiavelli strived towards the benefit of all humans and citizens, the country and worked out of love for it and patriotism. But, as human nature us wicked and cruel, and practically, will harm itself, do bad and ruin and ruin any chance of its success, the prince must and is forced to use these instruments to achieve his purpose. Because this is nature, this is politics, this is what humans will point towards (either this or you fall, prince - and the walfare of all humans falls with you).
Machiavelli was a humanist. And we can see - all ends do justify the means. (Roughly): the ends are the beast the prince must use, the means are humans the prince must do this for - in a symbolic way. The prince (and Machiavelli) work for the benefit of humans and the country, as well as moral, human values (using in moral ones to get to the moral, to make moral), and more. Because, if not, it just won't work. And humans are so weak, they will allow you to so.
Thanks for reading :)
I agree with Ivana and with Paul, of course
Excellent book about the way things really work---No feel good cheerleading here
Alas, people read into books what they like. Like the bible.