Machiavelli- The Prince - publié le 09/04/2009

Résumé du document

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) received a humanist education which emphasized the prevalence of public goods over private interests which rejected corruption, tyranny and the pursuit of glory. In The Prince (1513), dedicated to the Medici who re-assumed power in Florence, Machiavelli studied the conditions of the creation of a new power. In this review, I will attempt to analyze Machiavelli's theories about the methods a ruler should employ to remain as the head of the state. I will particularly study his conception of the use of fear and violence to do so.

Extraits

[...] Indeed, he asserted that is much safer to be feared than loved” because have less scruple in offending one who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared” (Cohen and Fermon: 183). Finally, this led us to a concept which would later be developed by Michel Foucault: the state reason. In a case of emergency, a sovereign should employ every means and even extreme violence to maintain the state. He could not be blame for that since all would be done for the well-being of the people. As Machiavelli said, the actions of men, and especially of princes, from which there is no appeal, the end justifies the means. [...]

[...] Let a prince therefore aim at conquering and maintaining the state, and the means will always be judged honorable and praised by every (Cohen and Fermon: 184-185). Therefore, a new ruler should reunite strength and cleverness to rule his state but he should also use cruelty when it is necessary to maintain himself in power. As Machiavelli wrote, a prince should deviate from what is good, if possible, but be able to do evil if constrained” (Cohen and Fermon: 184). Indeed, he wrote that men were all good, this precept would not be a good one; but as they are (Cohen and Fermon: 184). [...]

[...] Indeed, while the common people imitate since as he wrote walk almost always in the paths trodden by others, proceeding in their actions by imitations” (Cohen and Fermon: 171), new political leaders have to create their own path. However, how should they do that? According to Machiavelli, a good ruler should reunite two main qualities: strength and cleverness. Indeed, as he said, there are methods of fighting”, one by law (the one of men), the other by force (the one of beasts)” (Cohen and Fermon: 183) and the prince should be able to use both of them. To demonstrate this, he used his famous metaphor of the fox and the lion. [...]

[...] Machiavelli's advices would therefore be firstly dedicated to new rulers such as the Medici who had just reconquered Florence. First of all, to conquer or create a new state, political leaders needed special qualities but they also had to identify special circumstances in order to use them because “they owe nothing to fortune but the opportunity which gave them matter to be shaped into what form they thought fit; and without that opportunity their powers would have been wasted, and without their powers the opportunity would have come in vain” (Cohen and Fermon: 171). [...]

[...] These activities led him to perceive the failure of the rulers to adapt themselves to the diversity of circumstances. In The Prince (1513), dedicated to the Medici who retook power in Florence, Machiavelli studied the conditions of the creation of a new power. In this review, I will therefore attempt to analyze Machiavelli's theories about the methods a ruler should employ to maintain himself at the head of the state. I will particularly study his conception of the use of fear and violence to do so. Machiavelli asserted himself as a modern philosopher. [...]