For Wednesday: Machiavelli's The Prince, pp.3-32
Answer TWO of the following:
1. The term “Machiavellian” is an adjective used often in politics in our
own time, and it comes from Machiavelli’s The Prince. Based on your reading of the first few
chapters, what do you think this adjective means, and what ideas/passages might
it be based on? Be specific.
2. What advice
in general does Machiavelli offer the “prince” about men and mankind in
general? Consider the passage from
chapter 6 that begins, “Men nearly always follow the tracks made by others and
proceed in their affairs by imitation.”
Why is this information about human nature important for a ruler to
know?
3. What advice does Machiavelli give a ruler who conquers a foreign
land? What is the best way to keep this
land under your control? Likewise, what
is the easiest way to lose it? Do you
think modern military strategists would agree with this advice?
4. Shockingly, Machiavelli believes that a ruler should be cruel or
downright immoral when necessary. As he
says in Chapter 8, the question is whether cruelty is “used well or
badly.” What does he mean by this, and
related to question #2, why might human nature insist that rules be
occasionally cruel to their subjects?
2. The advice he gives to the “prince”, is that it is wiser to set his sights to become successful, by using examples set forth by great leaders like Moses. This information is important because it is only normal to want to do well in life than is a failure. Do the things that have proven to work.
ReplyDelete3. Taking the prize may come easy, but keeping it will be hard work. One way to keep the land was to get rid or kill your opposition, and not choosing the right people to be at your side can bring a disaster to your cause. Yes, I believe that our country tries to choose allies that will help not hurt us.
Remember, he doesn't just want the prince to kill his opposition; in some ways, those who are for you are a greater threat than those that oppose you. Once in power, it can be easier to win over opposition than to keep your followers happy. So The Prince is foremost a way to promote an ideal of leadership so no one will question his real actions/motives. We believe what we see, so the prince can never be what he seems.
DeleteAndrew Reeves
ReplyDelete1. Machiavellian is an adjective used in politics to mean that someone is conniving, cunning, and ruthless. The term seems to mean this because Machiavelli had a no nonsense approach to politics that was very dark. for example Machiavelli states in chapter 5, "Whenever those states which have been acquired as stated have been accustomed to live under their own laws and in freedom, there are three courses for those who wish to hold them: the first is to ruin them, the next is to reside there in person, the third is to permit them to live under their own laws, drawing a tribute, and establishing within it an oligarchy which will keep it friendly to you." This causes the word Machiavellian to have a negative connotation due to the ruthless approach stated objectively as it does; for example he say the best way to gain control of free people is to ruin them. This is a very dark concept in which the manipulator ruins the people and then comes in with a solution to fix the problem if they accept the manipulator's rule and give him power. This is a very cunning and ruthless tactic, thus proving the negative connotation of the word Machiavellian.
4. Cruelty is a tool used by the rulers to help keep their subjects in line. A ruler can enact cruel taxes and laws to stomp out rebellions and remind their subjects of how good they have it. This is what I believe Machiavelli is saying whether cruelty is "used well or badly" Due to human nature being to push the rules and boundaries, rulers must crack the whip to protect their subjects, no matter the complaints given.
Great response; to be Machiavellian is to be at once villain and savior to your people. He must project the face the public most wants, while in secret having no identity whatsoever beyond war and the business of ruling. It's startling to think that a ruler is merely a drive, rather than a person; he can only consider the balance of power, and how to shift the world in his favor. The longer he can keep up in the illusion, the longer his reign.
Delete3. Machiavelli gives several pieces of advice to rulers who conquer a foreign land. The ones that stick the most are to show no mercy, preventing war is not an option. Wars happen and will always happen so trying to do something to avoid conflict is meaningless. The other that stuck with me is that the ruler should colonize or live in the conquered land. This can be a leading cause of loosing a conquered settlement. Failure to live there and create influence through their citizens weakens the conquered territory and exposes the new ruler to take over from another adversary. Finally, do not empower other people to come into your conquered land. This will give them power to rise up against you and eventually overthrow your new regime.
ReplyDelete4. Cruelty can serve many functions. In a newly conquered land it can show that any who betray or think of rising against the new regime swift and often extreme punishment can show that there will be no mercy for their enemies. It also can serve as a continual reminder of who makes and enforces the law. Sometimes strength needs to be shown to convince the patrons of a community that they are a leader and are to be followed. Rulers can show this in many facets, but particularly in physical and financial means are the two most prevalent.
Great points; a ruler cannot make the mistake of seeming like a distant, abstract presence. He must always be 'there,' even if people can't see him. He must have some physical presence, some way of watching at all times--kind of like "Big Brother" from Orwell's 1984. Otherwise, people see him as all-too-human, someone from whom they can hide and plot. It only takes a few calculated actions to make people think they're being watched and judged. That's the essence of the Machiavellian prince.
Delete1) You have to be two faced. If you want to be prince then you have to tell the people what the want to hear and what the positive stuff you are going to do to help them. But he bind close doors you will do the complete opposite of what you said. Not let them know that you are planning all of this stuff.
ReplyDelete2)If you want to be the best you have to follow the lead of the princes that are the best. Look at what they are excelling on being successful at. Whatever is working for them is going to have to work for you in making a name for yourself. You would rather be know for doing something then not doing anything at all.
Good points; Machiavelli is quite clear that an ignorant prince will never prosper. Without knowing the rules and follies of history, you can never avoid the same mistakes, or learn the right lessons. Therefore the book is a kind of history lesson that only the wisest prince can appreciate--a clever way of flattering the real prince on Machiavelli's part.
Delete2.) The advice he gives the prince, is in order to be successful you must be create your own path and not follow in everyone else foot stps. You can take ideas that have been successful before and use them but if you constantly do what everyone else has done, no one will expect anything great out of you because what you are doing has already been done. He uses refrences like Moses and Romulus. This advice is important because no one wants to fail in life and when you are in a position of power it is important to be different because if you model rulers before you, it is most likely you will immatate their mistakes and no one will look ip to you or respect you.
ReplyDelete4.) Cruelty is a tool that can be used in various forms. You wanted to be respected and feared all at the same time. If you use it to your advantage you can gain more respect and have less likely of a turn over against you. It also reminds people that "I'm in charge" and that you can and will enforce all laws and punishments that are broken. Rules must be cruel to their subjects if they weren't theyd be seen as a push over and no one would take theem seriously. There would be chaos and a rulers job is to keep order and reign over his subjects not let them rule him
Yes, good points; of course, the reality is that the people DO rule, and a prince is merely a magician, making them "think" he's in charge. So he needs to use fear and manipulation before they decide to peep behind the curtain to get a look at the wizard. If they do, all is lost.
Delete3. Machiavelli tells the ruler that when he conquers the new land that he must not trust the ones who got him there, because they overthrew the last king and they could certainly overthrow him. The best way to keep the land under his control is to be authoritative and make it seem like he is there to protect his subjects. The easiest way to lose his subjects is to be too friendly and make them seem like he's their best friend. They need somebody to lead them, not be their friend. I do believe some modern military strategists believe in this because they are all friendly, but a lot of people are fearful of them.
ReplyDelete4. Cruelty used well is when it is in the best interest for the subjects. Cruelty used bad is when it hurts your subjects and puts them in danger. If the overall view of the plan is for good then you could consider it used well, but when it hurts your country than it is bad cruelty. Rulers may occasionally have to be cruel to their subjects because people don't obey the rules. When people break the rules they need to be punished. That is when cruelty is necessary.
Good responses--Machiavelli is very careful not to let the prince see his followers as friends, or even allies. Indeed, his closest allies are his greatest enemies! However, Machiavelli is careful to remind us that a good prince cannot punish his people repeatedly; he has to operate in such a manner that punishment is no longer necessary--that a previous threat will deter people from stepping out of line. Otherwise, his cruelty will incite revenge.
Delete3. Machiavelli says that in order to conquer a forgein land he must make it his own. To make colonies in these lands and slowly take over their land. And also to not be shy of war an always be ready to take action. Don't try and stop war from happening because it will happen.
ReplyDelete4. Using cruelty as a leader means that you have no mercy for one person, you focus on the greater good of all people. At least that's how I took it. Some times there will be people that get sacrificed for the greater good and we cannot judge a leader for that, because at that moment that was the best choice they could've made for the greater good.
Good responses, but what if the cruelty you (think) you have to inflict is of a particularly cruel nature? And what if most people actually thought it was an act of barbarism? Who gets to decide what is just and what is morally right? Just one man? Can the Prince be wise enough to make these decisions?
DeleteKyle Straughn
ReplyDelete2. Machiavelli states that wise leaders follow the examples of great leaders because it is easier to follow known methods both because they have been test by time and because men will be more will to follow one who employs familiar methods than one who tries new ones.
4. Machiavelli clearly articulates that cruelties are to be preformed in short controlled burst where they will remove problems. This will ingratiate the people who when they discover that the worst is over will accept the prince because they are not presently harmed by his manner but they know what he is capable of. This relates back to question two in that people prefer what they know. A know tolerable evil is better than an unknown.
Good responses; people, for all their obsession with novelty, are really after tradition (or so Machiavelli argues). They want the same old things in a new package, though they foolishly think a new face will give greater freedoms. And God forbid if you disabuse them of those notions too soon!
ReplyDelete