The"Love and Death" group should answer TWO of the
following questions.
The students in this group are: Danielle M, Kara C, Sydney W, Bekkah T, Madison G, Erica M, Heather B, Raven J, Jack A, and Mya C
The students in this group are: Danielle M, Kara C, Sydney W, Bekkah T, Madison G, Erica M, Heather B, Raven J, Jack A, and Mya C
Q1: Considering that the prince’s only business is war, how does Machiavelli regard neutrality? Can a prince remain neutral when two neighboring states go to war? If not, which side should he support? Why might this be one of the most significant decisions a prince can make?
Q2: In a world of turncoats, flatterers, and assassins, whom
should a prince turn to for advice? What considerations does Machiavelli
urge when compiling a prince’s personal staff? Why might this decision
make or break a prince’s rule?
Q3: Toward the end of the book, Machiavelli writes that “because fortune is a woman...if she is to be submissive it is necessary to beat and coerce her” (81). Why does Machiavelli personify fortune as a woman, and what does it mean to “beat” fortune as a woman? (as a side note, what do you think this says about Renaissance culture?)
Q4: In his biography of Machiavelli, Miles Unger writes that "Machiavelli was one of the first philosophers since ancient times to treat people not as children of God but as independent adults, forced to make choices without guidance from an all-seeing Father and to suffer the consequences of their mistakes." Do you feel that The Prince carries an anti-religious message, or that he, himself, is criticizing religion? Or is he merely trying to describe how politics works realistically without moral judgement?
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