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Niccolò di Bernardo del Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy on May 3rd, 1469. He is known in history as the father of modern political philosophy, though he is also known for other things. Machiavelli served as a senior official in the Republic of Florence, taking responsibility for diplomatic and military affairs. He was also a writer across numerous mediums, including poetry, comedy, and song writing. Furthermore, the personal letters he wrote to people in his life are considered very important to historians and scholars. He also worked as a secretary to the Second Chancery of the Republic of Florence from 1498 to 1512, after the Medici were out of power. Machiavelli’s greatest claim to fame is the book he wrote called The Prince, written in 1513 after he was exiled from Florence. The book is said to have been dedicated to Lorenzo de’ Medici. Since publication, the word “Machiavellian” has been used to describe corrupt politicians who use fear and cunning to keep their political power. The policies of modern “Machiavellian” leaders can be traced back to the ideas presented in The Prince. In the book, Machiavelli describes specifically how a leader can stay in control without losing support from their followers.
Machiavelli believed that in order to keep power, a leader could not always be a “good” person. He also believed that people lived in ways that they were not supposed to live, and that these actions would lead to their destruction. Something Machiavelli states in the book is that, “…in the actions of men, and especially of princes, the end justifies the means.” He also says that sometimes when a person is in a position of power, actions that might be considered brutal or immoral are often necessary. In Machiavelli’s own words, “It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot have both.” Machiavelli believed instilling fear was an effective way for a ruler to control his subjects. In The Prince, he says that punishing an individual for their actions is justifiable if it benefits the community as a whole. Effectively, these punishments would serve as a lesson to the rest of the community. Machiavelli’s main point is that as long as their subjects see the outcome of a leader’s actions as positive, it does not matter how the outcome came to be. Ultimately, the ends justify the means, regardless of morality. The only thing a leader would need to worry about is not pushing things too far to the point that they are hated by the community.
Machiavelli also states that good leaders must convince their subjects that they possess certain positive qualities in order to keep them in check. The specific words he uses in chapter fifteen are: “One is reputed generous, one rapacious; one cruel, one compassionate; one faithless, another faithful; one effeminate and cowardly, another bold and brave; one affable, another haughty; one lascivious, another chaste; one sincere, another cunning; one hard, another easy; one grave, another frivolous; one religious, another unbelieving, and the like. And I know that everyone will confess that it would be most praiseworthy in a prince to exhibit all the above qualities that are considered good.”
These words mean that even if a leader does not possess these positive traits, they need to convey that they do in order to keep the community on their side. Another idea that Machiavelli presents is the contrast between were fortune and virtue. In this context, virtue refers to the actions that are taken by a ruler that convince others that they are worthy of respect. Fortune refers to the power and influence gained by performing virtuous acts. Machiavelli emphasizes virtue over fortune because fortune isn’t something a leader can directly control. However, they can control their actions, and by taking virtuous actions they can gain the favor of the population.
Machiavelli also emphasizes that a good leader must know how to respond appropriately to threats. In his own words, “It is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves.’ Machiavelli is essentially warning rulers to be wary of acting too quickly when they feel threatened by inside or outside forces. The leader would have to be sneaky and cunning (like a fox), and not to go full force before they know the motives of their opponents. However, when conflict is unavoidable the leader must show the strength of a “lion” to gain respect from the opposing side. Ultimately, the important thing is to know when to hold back and when to assert your dominance. Along with this point Machiavelli believed that if a leader’s people failed him it was due to some error that the leader has overlooked. He believed it was necessary for a leader to build up a faithful community and a strong team of people on his side.
As stated before, many world leaders throughout history have been described as “Machiavellian.” A modern example of a leader that displays these Machiavellian qualities is the President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte. He does not tolerate people rebelling against the law in any way. He uses brutality and fear to maintain his power, just as Machiavelli suggests in his book. Citizens that are breaking the law are shot do not get arrested or tried. Instead, they are immediately shot on sight. This goes along with Machiavelli’s beliefs about instilling fear upon citizens. It also directly relates to the point Machiavelli makes about punishing people that break the law in order to show other citizens what could happen if they rebelled.
Another example of a leader that has been known to use Machiavellian methods is Vladimir Putin. Often, he has justified questionable actions by claiming that the outcome is beneficial for society. For example, some people see the relationship between Donald Trump, and Putin as inappropriate. They are closer than another President of the United States has been with Putin. Some speculators think it benefits both countries, but mending the relationship between the two countries. While others believe, there is something sneaky going on. He has also been known to manipulate or even change the system to work in his favor. However, many citizens of his country view him as cynical but charming, keeping in line with Machiavelli’s idea of a ruler being respected instead of loved.
Arguably, one final modern-day example of a leader that uses Machiavellian methods to hold power is Donald Trump. Like Putin, Trump has a dedicated following despite the fact that he has been caught lying and bullying other politicians in order to get his way. As stated before, these qualities were necessary at some points in Machiavelli’s opinion. They both share the belief that having a strong state is better than having a good and moral state. Furthermore, Trump’s scapegoating and inhumane treatment of illegal immigrants are examples of immoral actions that he believes to be justified, as they allegedly benefit the United States as a whole. This echoes Machiavelli’s belief that the ends justify the means. However, one way that Trump does not embody Machiavelli’s beliefs, is that he has gone too far and lost respect from many U.S. citizens.
Why are we still reading a book that was written over five hundred years ago you might ask? Machiavelli is one of the important voices in history when it comes to the concept of political thought. Through his writing, Machiavelli is the first to directly separate ethics from politics. Through his writing, Machiavelli always tends to have a realistic point of view. This book also shows readers what looking at the world through an immoral perspective is like. Many of Machiavelli’s core methods can be seen in modern day leaders. It just goes to show that old ideas have carried their way into modern society many times after the book was written.
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