Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) was an Italian Renaissance political philosopher and statesman. He is best known for his book The Prince, which is considered one of the most influential works of political philosophy ever written.
Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy, in 1469. He came from a family of minor nobility and received a good education. He studied law and philosophy, and he was also interested in history and literature. In 1498, he was appointed secretary to the Second Chancery of the Florentine Republic. He held this position for 14 years, during which time he served as an ambassador and a diplomat.
In 1512, the Medici family returned to power in Florence, and Machiavelli was dismissed from his position. He spent the rest of his life in exile, writing and studying. He died in 1527.
Machiavelli’s most famous work, The Prince, was published posthumously in 1532. In it, he argues that the most important quality of a ruler is virtù, which he defines as the ability to achieve one’s goals, regardless of the means. Machiavelli believed that a ruler should be willing to use any means necessary to maintain power, including force, deception, and cruelty.
The Prince was highly controversial when it was first published. It was condemned by many religious and political leaders, who accused Machiavelli of advocating for immorality and tyranny. However, The Prince also had many admirers, who praised Machiavelli for his realism and his willingness to challenge traditional moral and political beliefs.
Scholars describe Niccolò Machiavelli in a variety of ways, but some of the most common descriptions include:
- Realist: Machiavelli is often seen as a realist in his approach to politics. He believed that politics should be based on practical considerations, rather than on moral or religious principles.
- Practitioner: Machiavelli was also a practitioner of politics. He served as a diplomat and advisor to the rulers of Florence, and he drew on his own experiences in his writings.
- Theorist: Machiavelli was also a theorist of politics. He wrote extensively about the nature of power, the role of the state, and the relationship between morality and politics.
- Influencer: Machiavelli’s writings have had a profound influence on Western political thought. His ideas have been debated and discussed for centuries, and they continue to shape our understanding of politics today.
Some scholars have also argued that Machiavelli was a complex thinker who cannot be easily categorized. They point out that he was not always consistent in his views, and that he sometimes expressed contradictory ideas. However, even those who argue that Machiavelli was a complex thinker still acknowledge his importance as a political theorist.
Machiavelli had a rather pessimistic view of human nature. He believed that people were inherently selfish, ambitious, and deceitful. He also believed that people were easily manipulated and that they could be easily swayed by their emotions.
Machiavelli’s view of human nature had a profound impact on his ideas about how to live a good life. He believed that the best way to live was to be realistic about human nature and to use that knowledge to one’s advantage. He also believed that it was important to be strong and decisive, and to be willing to use force when necessary.
Machiavelli’s ideas about human nature and how to live a good life were controversial in his own time, and they continue to be debated today. Some people believe that Machiavelli was amoral and cynical, while others believe that he was simply a realist who was trying to understand the world as it really is. Regardless of one’s opinion of Machiavelli, there is no doubt that he was a major figure in Western political thought, and his ideas continue to be relevant today.
On Power:
- “It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.” (The Prince, Chapter 17)
- “Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions.” (The Prince, Chapter 18)
- “All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it’s impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively.” (Letter to Francesco Vettori, December 10, 1513)
On Leadership:
- “The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.” (The Prince, Chapter 22)
- “A prince who is not wise himself will never take good advice.” (The Art of War, Book III)
- “It is better to be impetuous than cautious, because fortune is a woman, and if you wish to keep her under it is necessary to beat and ill-use her.” (The Prince, Chapter 25)
- “He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind.” (The Prince, Chapter 25)
- “A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests.” (The Prince, Chapter 18)
On Opportunity:
- “Never waste the opportunity offered by a good crisis.” (Letter to Francesco Vettori, December 10, 1513)
- “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” (The Prince, Chapter 6)
- “If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.” (The Prince, Chapter 3)
On Ambition:
- “The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.” (The Prince, Chapter 18)
- “It is necessary for a prince wishing to hold his own to know how to do wrong, and to make use of it or not according to necessity.” (The Prince, Chapter 15)
- “The end justifies the means.” (The Prince, Chapter 18)
On Morality:
- “It is necessary for a prince wishing to hold his own to know how to do wrong, and to make use of it or not according to necessity.” (The Prince, Chapter 15)
On Politics:
- “Politics have no relation to morals.” (Letter to Francesco Vettori, December 10, 1513)
- “It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.” (The Art of War, Book IV)
On War:
- “A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests.” (The Prince, Chapter 18)
- “The main foundations of every state, new states as well as ancient or composite ones, are good laws and good arms.” (The Prince, Chapter 26)
- “Never was anything great achieved without danger.” (The Prince, Chapter 6)
- “The art of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.” (The Art of War, Book VI)
On Fortune:
- “It is better to be impetuous than cautious, because fortune is a woman, and if you wish to keep her under it is necessary to beat and ill-use her.” (The Prince, Chapter 25)
- “Men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand, for everyone can see and few can feel. Every one sees what you appear to be, few really
On Human Nature:
- “Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions.” (The Prince, Chapter 18)
- “The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous.” (The Prince, Chapter 15)
On History:
- “History is written by the victors.” (The Prince, Chapter 25)
- “The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.” (The Prince, Chapter 22)
On Advice:
- “A prince who is not wise himself will never take good advice.” (The Art of War, Book III)
- “Before all else, be armed.” (The Art of War, Book XIV)
- “The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.” (The Discourses, Book II)