Nicol Machiavelli

(1469-1527)

Political Humanism and the Rise of Young Power

Machiavelli,
Author of the Prince Written c. 1505, published 1515

William Mortensens Machiavelli

Questions 1
[Machiavelli and the Political Mobility of the Human] 1.1 What are the key political points or messages of The Prince? Why was and still is this work so scandalous?

1.2 What are the similarities and differences between Pico and Machiavelli taken together as representatives of the Renaissance; again, how exactly do Machiavelli's ideas on human embody the Renaissance Spirit? 1.3 How does his view on human nature deepen, reflect and further complicate the psychological dynamics of the Renaissance man?

Questions 2
[Machiavelli and the Political Manipulation of Human Emotions]
"Cruley and Compassion; and Whether it is Better to be Loved than Feared, or the Reverse (Chapter XVII, p.18)"

2.1 Why does Machiavelli raise such an issue? Why is this a political question?
2.2 What is Machiavelli's own answer to the question?

2.3 What is his notion of power? (Look for some conceptual clues in the chapter. All there.)

Questions 3
[Machiavelli and Anti-Platonic Realism (or Utilitarianism)]
"Many have dreamed up republics and principalities which never never in truth been known to exist; the gulf between how one should live and how one does live is so wide that a man who neglects what is actually done for what should be done learns the way to self-destruction rather than self-preservation. [...] Therefore if a prince wants to maintain his rule he must learn how not to be virtuous, and to make use of this [...] (Chapter XV, p.16, emphases added).

3.1 Locate (pp. 16-9) phrases, sentences or passages that illustrate Machiavelli's political utilitarianism and see how different they are from Platonic thoughts or ideals; why, for instance, is Machiavelli so interested in "appearance" or "reputation"?
3.2 Are there political philosophical reasons for this thematic preoccupation?

3.3 Machiavelli finds traditional Roman military literature more useful and interesting than Ancient Greek philosophy. Why? Locate some examples in the text.

Questions 4
[Machiavelli and the Medici Family of Florence] 4.1 Fascinating to see further is some biographical or socio-political context in which the Prince was produced; the rise of political clans and military-economic powers as illustrated by the Medici Family. Where does the Prince, this work itself, stand in this context? 4.2 Further, how did the Medici contribute to the establishment and institutionalisation of the Renaissance as a period in the history of Western civilisation?

Key Quotes
The gulf between how one should live and how one does live is so wide (p.16); human nature being what it is, princes cannot possess those qualities, or rather they cannot always exhibit them. So a prince should be so prudent that he knows how to escape the evil reputation attached to vices [] (p.17); [] Some of the things that appear to be wicked will bring him security and prosperity(p.17); [] A prince should want to have a reputation for compassion rather than for cruelty: nonetheless, he should be careful that he does not make bad use of compassion (p.18) So as a prince cannot practice the virtue of generosity in such a way that he is noted for it, except to his cost (p.17); In the first case, your generosity will be to your cost (p.17); Any prince who has come to depend entirely on promises and has taken no other precautions ensures his own ruin; friendship which is bought is paid for, but it does not last and it yields nothing (p.18). So, on this question of being loved or feared, I conclude that since some men love as they please but fear when the prince pleases, a wise prince should rely on what he _______, not on what he cannot ________. (p.19)