Machiavelli’s Prince is one of politicians and managers’ most important reference books. A guide is itself but the problem is the moral perspective of the book. Since the book was published the clergymen criticised the writing, let’s talk about it and explain it in today’s world.

His most important work is ‘’Prince’’. He reflects a ‘’realistic’’ look on human nature devoid of religious dogmas.He is not immoral but he is ‘’amoral’’. With the rise of modern absolutism in the Middle Ages: Feudalism, power is dispersed among feudal lords.Institutions are organized at a local level.There are limited means of communication and transportation: There is an issue of safety, roads are not safe, Muslim, Viking, Mongol threats. Trade is also local. Economic systems are around Guilds.Guilds are organized dominantly in the economy. Not an extensive use of Money. By the end of the 15th century: Banking new financial institutions were developing and the outside threats lost power.Secure trade routes, and discoveries. Trade of luxury goods; silk,spices….

Exchange of diplomats between different nations. Mercantilism is the ancestor of bourgeoisie. New Merchant adventurer, the birth of Merchant adventurer needs more and more security. Prepared to take risks for economic gain. Merchant requires a strong central authority, the king. Merchant class and the king ally, against the nobility. The church as a political force loses power. The birth of Renaissance(Rinascimento=Rebirth) 15-16th centuries.A cultural phenomenon in Florance because it had more contact with the Greko-Roman part.It is the most developed area in Banking and finance.Perspective, humanism rises; Man is the centre of everything, secular subjects take place in paintings, and the disappearance of religious subjects.DaVinci’s Mona Lisa is important for the Notion of perspective.Three dimensionality.Renaissance also means Politics and innovation.It is innovative, and realistic in politics and puts attention to the material and empirically observable. During these times, city-state leaders legitimised their power not upon heredity but upon real success. The Chaotic

Political Situation in İtaly İtaly was divided into 5 states; Florence, Milan, Venice, Naples, and Papacy. The unification of İtaly is important for Machiavelli. Machiavelli lived in Florance. The Medici family was in change and collapsed when France invaded. Cesare Borgia was ruling when Machiavelli lived. It collapsed and Medici’s came back. Machiavelli was sent into exile. In The Prince, there is lots of flattery of Lorenzo Medici for unifying İtaly.Prince is a radical break from Aristotelian ‘’zoon politikon’’ which is developing logos in the city to reach happiness. ‘’Virtue’’ and ‘’goodness’’ are not enough to survive (Enlightenment).He is not against virtue in the Platonic sense but if people around the leader are wicked and corrupt being virtuous will only ruin the leader. He has a negative conception of human nature. For him, human nature is possessive and aggressive and there is no potential for peace unless there are strong punitive laws similar to St.Augustine but without eternal city.Machiavelli constantly takes it for granted without developing a comprehensive theory: The ahistorical approach. There is no philosophy, no wisdom is key to Machiavelli’s politics.

He is against zoon politikon, he doesn’t think that ‘’happiness’’ is a supreme and of life. What matters is the real political success.A successful leader should not just be virtuous in the classic sense but should have some animal characteristics.The Fox(smart, intelligent) and The Lion(courageous) depending on the circumstances. He was also against the Pope. The Pope is too weak to unite İtaly but strong enough to keep the country divided. When he was writing, İtaly was in a situation of institutional decay. He was the political theorist of the ‘’ masterless’’ man. That is why he exaggerated certain notions in his pragmatism.’’ Prince’’ is a pragmatic flattery to Lorenzo Medici. Discourses: He talks about how to create successful Republics in the Roman Republic. The Prince Living virtuously as in Aristotelian etichs is good. He denies that living virtuously leads to happiness.This is the basic difference from Aristotle.For Aristotle, happiness is the supreme end. If a prince lives justly, he will ruin himself because many people are wicked and try to take advantage of the Prince’s goodness. A prince should differentiate between goodness and virtue. A prince should use virtue and vice according to the necessities of the circumstances. Goodness is a different thing. It is to be a loveable character. So virtue belongs to the ruled, and being active goodness belongs to the populace. Machiavelli also compares and gives examples from different rulers.

The compares Marcus Aurelius with Severus. If a prince wants to be successful he has to imitate the cruel Severus, not the generous Aurelius. Especially if he is a new prince in a new territory. After he firmly establishes his state, he can also take some notions/ideas from Aurelius. His main message of Prince: The model for the founder is the extremely cruel Severus and not the merciful Aurelius.After you consolidate your power, then you can take some positive virtuous ideals of Aurelius.In the beginning, there is no love but terror, there is no morality but immorality. The foundation of society firstly relies on injustice and only later on justice.Now there is an important question; Is it better to be loved or feared? You can’t be feared and loved at the same time. Machiavelli thinks that to be feared is better than to be loved, you have to choose because being loved depends on others but being feared depends on oneself. But he must avoid being hated: He will not be hated if he doesn’t touch the women and the property of his subjects. Is Machiavelli an evil person? Although Machiavelli is very ahistorical we have to look at him from a historical perspective.The corrupt state of affairs in İtaly pushes him to create exaggerated notions of strong leadership. He thinks that in current İtaly, republicanism cannot be successful because: of corruption. violence, and great inequalities.A strong statesman is a lawgiver to rehabilitates society.There is no limit to the power of his absolute legislator. He can kill, transplant populations…

He is the architect of the society.He says that if the act accuses the ruler, the result should excuse him. Coup d’estats is also legitimized. Machiavelli gives one of the first definitions of ‘’modern state’’ in the Weberian sense. The state has legitimate power to use violence against its subjects. ‘’Charismatic leadership’’: The leader is not limited by the laws he drafted. Discourses on the ten books of Titus Livius, Despotic rule is necessary for two situations: a)Forming a new state and b)Rehabilitating a corrupt state. The preservation of a consolidated state depends upon the excellence of its laws. Republicanism is superior to Despotic rule. Problems are solved together.Some focus on are aspect of the problem, some on others they complement each other.He dislikes nobility-aristocracy.They are lazy and use mercenary soldiers. No sense of loyalty, no patriotism. He likes ‘’nationalized armies’’.He talks about the first universal conscription:’’All able-bodied men (17-40) should serve in the National army.

In next week I will write about the Sun Tzu’s The Art Of War then compare two books, if you want to share your ideas or will write in my blog just send a mail, have a nice weekend.

Sincerely