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Machiavelli
Tuesday, December 27 2016, 6:21 AM

MACHIAVELLI

Age 1500 - Father of Political Realism, Child of renaissance (rebirth of reason), Father of
European secularism

Place Italy, Critic - Sabine

Concern Greatest Patriot

Nation states were being formed — except for italy — due to interference of Corrupt
Church
Vulnerable to external attacks
extremely critical of role of religion in politics
Church cardinals acting as obstacles to unification of Italy -
Corrupt church => corrupt italian society

Advocated for separation of religion and politics - Father of European Secularism

Machiavelli’s Prince == any enterprising person to come to power and make Italy a
strong nation state

School of Thought Political realism - looking at things as they are, rather than how they ought to be.
Realist = Politics is not ethics = Struggle for Power
Materialist
Psychology and History to guide politics

Influences Politics of that time

Books The Prince

What was humanism

Medieval ages in Europe = Dark ages = rise of religion and decline of reason
Religion - into politics — church powerful and corrupt
Renaissance = Rise of reason and logic => Enlightenment => Scientific revolution => Materialism =>
Capitalism and rise of nation states
God confined into scope of personal lives
Humanism - Human at the centre of the universe.
Machiavellian is considered with everything that is bad in politics — Shakespeare’s plays - villains

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Ideas in the Prince

1. Nature of Profession - bad
2. Deal with bad people
3. So one has to be bad
4. Qualities of a Prince

1st Advice- Nature of Profession

Intro - Same for all advices
Prince is considered as the best book in the field of statecraft. It contains advices for any enterprising
person who wants to be in power and remain in power

Machiavelli suggests — Prince should understand the nature of profession == As it is, rather than as it
should be
Realist -
Prince should not be a Philosopher
He should be wise in the real world than in the world of ideas

If Prince will sacrifice what is for what it should be — Harm himself and his state
Politics ==> Not goodness ==> Not inspiring ==> Not ethics
Should be able to see the dark side of the picture ==> How to be bad ==> May need to take morally wrong
decisions
Criticism
Sabine -
Narrowly dated and narrowly placed with his pessimistic views wrt politics because he belonged
to Italy of that time.
Had he belonged to some other time and space he may not have been so pessimistic.

Our view -
Though ideas heavily influenced by the circumstances prevailing in Italy == But thoughts have
universal relevance.
No one can deny neglect Machiavelli’s thoughts
Irony that everyone follows but no one acknowledges as a Machiavellian

2nd Advice- Human Nature

Intro -
Acc to M, Prince - knowledge of psychology backed by History — which shows that human nature has not
changed
Attributes
Ungrateful :
Forget the favours
Support not to be taken for granted
Favour should be done gradually
“It is better to feared than to be loved”

Deceitful : Can betray the prince when interest demands

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Coward : Fearful of losing all the things that give him happiness— convince ppl that their interest are
secured only when he is in power
Fickle-minded : Man can easily change his sides.
Avaricious : Greedy, possessive and materialst — allow men to maximise his material gain

It is better to execute than confiscate —>Man will forget the death of his father, but not the loss of his
property
Not to touch other’s women= Men are possessive of their woman

2 fundamental qualities : Selfish and Materialist

Psychology of bourgeoise class
Critical Eval
Sabine
Our view -
M’s view is one sided.
Not a balanced view
Selfish but has sympathy for others too.
These views — heavily influenced by Italy. Affirms from history
But only those examples taken which suit his view.

M describes human nature as self centred, materialistic and possessive, psychology of

emerging bourgeoise class

3rd Advice- Feared

“It is better to be feared than to be loved”
Intro -
M says, - Statecraft is mgt of power.
2 types
Hard power : Power of coercion
Soft power : Power of attraction

Prine must know proper use of these types of powers.

He recommends the policy of love - gradually - not reliable as man is ungrateful and fickle minded
Force is more reliable — Not to be used first — Used through proxies and subsidiaries — Completely in
single go — never let a man live for revenge
Revenge very powerful feeling — at the cost of self interest and personal life

4th Advice- Qualities

Fox - Reason - Clever to understand the conspiracies and traps
Lion - Courage - to defend himself from the wolves
Times of Plato and Aristotle - R&C for ruling class
M — more explicit
Kautaliya - ancient India - similar thoughts - interstate relations - jungle - strength of lion prevails
Prince should be a cold blooded man

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Ethics, religion and Politics

In Politics ends justify the means. It the ends are good, it means that the mean employed were also good
M - greatest contribution - about ends and means
He says — Political actions are autonomous from Religion and Ethics.
Sometimes actions needed - Might put prince in religious and ethical dilemma - right and timely action is
required
Nothing is superior to National interest
Concept of “Dual Morality “
Morality of prince diff from that of an ordinary man
Ordinary man - sacrifice himself for his principles — but a prince cannot sacrifice national interest for
his principles
Pol actions ==> evaluated by outcomes and not by ethics or religion ==> National interest paramount
All actions in Nat int — right ,
If nat interest sacrificed in the name of Ethics then the prince cannot be saved

Greatest Patriot — Nothing superior to the nation

Gandhi — purity of means — cannot achieve right ends by following wrong means —> politics ethics not
separable —> If separated — death trap

Other Advices
1. “ Whether Machiavelli was anti-religious or ir-religious”
Neither of the above
Against the church — reason — corrupt at that time — obstacle to the unification of Italy
Against Church’s interference in Politics
M understood importance od religion —> disciplinary force —> Also says prince should not appear
either of above in public despite his personal views
Religion can be used for state — But religion should not be an obstacle in the path of National
Interest

2. "Machiavelli suggests that if a situation arises, Prince should prefer common man over the nobles”
Common man not a threat to Prince, whereas the nobles have an ambition to come to power.
Nobles - Parasite class

3. Machiavelli was the first person to recommend the army of nationals

Mercenaries fight for the money — nationals for the nation

4. Machiavelli supported Expansionist Foreign policy

He says where the culture is same, Prince can rule, but where it is different — lieutenants

5. Fortune (Bad Luck in Italy)

M was a realist to acknowledge the role of fortune - luck factor beyond human control
Even with all the qualities the prince can face failure
Bad times - torrential rain and roaring rivers - devastate the prince completely
Wise prince — make prior arrangements to minimise damage — embankments to control floods
Fortune <=> Women — embrace brave men — similarly fortune favours brave men
Act with courage

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M’s optimism

6. View on Discourses
Wherever possible - Republic
Wherever necessary - Monarchy ruling with an iron fist
But never aristocracy — Feudal lords —> Parasites —> Obstacle for unification of Italy

Assessment of Machiavelli as a thinker

All questions — "Politics is not Ethics"

Machiavelli was a child of his times

Laski
True for every thinker, but most appropriate for M
All major developments of the time reflected in works of M —> Reflects the spirit of his time
Major developments
Renaissance : Spirit of enquiry and Humanism —> Human Nature centre of M’s theory
Reformation : Sepn b/w Church and state-> “Father of European secularism”
Breakdown of Feudalism : Preference for the common man over nobles
Rise of Nation States : Italy becomes a strong nations state, Nationalism over Religion & Army of
nationals
Rise of Capitalism : M describes human nature as self centred, materialistic and possessive — reflect
the psychology of bourgeoise class.
Age of Exploration : Expansionist foreign policy

Thus correct to say so.

Machiavelli was narrowly dated and narrowly located

Sabine -
Narrowly dated and narrowly placed with his pessimistic views wrt politics because he belonged to
Italy of that time.
Had he belonged to some other time and space he may not have been so pessimistic.

Views
Attitude towards religion and church
Pessimistic view of human nature
Suggestions on statecraft

Sabine not entirely wrong but also true that

True that M has “TRANSCENDENTAL” significance, Universal significance
Significance cannot be questioned. Source of inspiration for many scholars including— international
relations
F o Realism and European Secularism.
Origin of Behaviouralism
Prince intro
Kautaliya - diff time and space - ancient india - similar -

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Nehru in "Discovery of India" called Kautaliya as Indian Machiavelli

To what extent is it appropriate to call Machiavelli as the first modern thinker

Calling M the first modern thinker is a matter of debate
First to give - Idea of nation state, Secularism
Did not give the idea of Sovereignty
Hobbes - most imp idea in modern pol phil - Complete Theory of Sovereignty of State
M— Copernicus then Hobbes —> Galilieo of Pol Phil
M was a non-medieval thinker and amodern

Q. I have resolved to open a new route, which has not been followed by anyone
New Route - Nation state, Secularism , Ethics separate
Patriot - Italy nation state - Corrupt church - State separate from church - Father of European Secularism
Ancient Greece - Politics part of ethics
Medieval - Politics part of religion
Machiavelli - Politics autonomous from Religion and Ethics
Prince - décisions - ethical dilemma - right and timely action
National interest is supreme
Pol actions are judged by their outcomes and not the means involved - ends and means

First person to say all this

Q. Explain how M’s application of empirical methods led to the beginning of a new phase in political science
Empirical method — Observations - nature of profession, human nature, pol and ethics, realism
Pol sc - one of the oldest disciplines - origin - Ancient greece
It is also dynamic - keeps changing with time
Plato - FoPP - No distinction b/w Ethics and Politics and method of Dialectics
Aristotle - FoPS - Some realism - empirical method in ToRevolutions - still no distinction b/w E&P
Medieval times - Pol science under religion
M - New age —> FoPRealism - empirical method — what is rather than what ought to be
Empirical method — Politics is neither religion nor ethics — Autonomous discipline

Q. Power is an end in itself

Prince is the best book on statecraft. It tells any enterprising person how to come to power and stay in power
Goal of prince is achieving power.
Gives multiple advices —> Fox and lion, cold blooded
Price should aim at gaining power —> Only when in power — Nation state of Italy — prosperous, external
threats
Powers is a mean to all ends
So attaining power should be an end for the prince.

Q. I conclude again by saying that prince must esteem nobles but not make himself hated by the populace
Prince is the best book on statecraft. It tells any enterprising person how to come to power and stay in power

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Child of his times —> End of feudalism

Not to antagonise anyone, but if the situation demands - P must choose people over the nobles
View on discourses - never aristocracy —> Parasite class.

Machiavelli

Sabine
Greatest critic
Narrowly dated and located
Pessimistic
Different Time and space

Laski
Called him - Child of his times

Kautilya
Indian Machiavelli

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