Machiavellian Politics Essay
Machiavellian politics is infamous for its cutthroat attitude towards rulership and coming to power. Among its main points are deception, lying, and skullduggery. In Machiavelli's mind, however, one thing reigns supreme, might. Through sheer power and wise use of it, anything can be overcome and anyone defeated. When dealing with the "prince" of a nation, this sort of conflict usually takes the world stage as war. To Machiavelli, the ultimate tool, and perhaps the only one needed, that a prince needs is the art of war.
First in the fourteenth chapter of "The Prince", Machiavelli states, "The art of war is all that is expected of a ruler; and it is so useful that besides enabling hereditary princes to maintain their rule it frequently ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...Moreover, Machiavelli has good reason to believe that arming yourself for the eventuality of others coming against you is essential. "You are bound to meet misfortune if you are unarmed because, among other reasons, people despise you, and this, as I shall say later on, is one of the infamies a prince should be on his guard against" (Machiavelli 48). The reason for this hatred is that without force, others will wonder why they are beneath you. This confusion about why the one in charge should be weak and incompetent will lead to, as he says, the prince's misfortune. The gathering of force, and thus preparation for conflict in the form of war, is the best deterrent against prospective princes. The more armed the prince is, the less logical it would seem to revolt against the them. Machiavelli also notes it as one of the infamies that a prince should constantly be vigilant for, that is, being hated for your lack of strength yet high position.
Machiavelli continues with the analogy of force as being the main way to maintain power, whether force being used, or potential force that could be brought against someone. "It is unreasonable to expect that an armed man should obey one who is unarmed, or that an unarmed man should remain safe and secure when his servants are armed." (Machiavelli 48). This line draws on the fact that Machiavelli is deeply distrustful of people, and believes that the only guaranteed way to keep them
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