Summary — Chapter XV: Concerning Things for Which
Men, and Princes Especially, Are Praised or Censured
Machiavelli turns the discussion from the strength of
states and principalities to the correct behavior of the prince.
Machiavelli admits that this subject has been treated by others,
but he argues that an original set of practical—rather than theoretical—rules
is needed. Other philosophers have conceived republics built upon
an idealized notion of how men should live rather than how men actually
live. But truth strays far from the expectations of imagined ideals.
Specifically, men never live every part of their life virtuously.
A prince should not concern himself with living virtuously, but
rather with acting so as to achieve the most practical benefit.
In general, some personal characteristics will earn men
praise, others condemnation. Courage, compassion, faith, craftiness,
and generosity number among the qualities that receive praise. Cowardice,
cruelty, stubbornness, and miserliness are usually met with condemnation.
Ideally, a prince would possess all the qualities deemed “good”
by other men. But this expectation is unrealistic. A prince’s first
job is to safeguard the state, and harboring “bad” characteristics
is sometimes necessary for this end. Such vices are truly evil if they
endanger the state, but when vices are employed in the proper interests
of the state, a prince must not be influenced by condemnation from
other men.
Summary — Chapter XVI: Liberality and Parsimony
Of all the things he must guard against,
hatred and contempt come first, and liberality leads to both.
See Important Quotations Explained
Liberality, or generosity, is a quality that many men
admire. But if a prince develops a reputation for generosity, he
will ruin his state. A reputation for generosity requires outward
lavishness, which eventually depletes all of the prince’s resources.
In the end, the prince will be forced to burden his people with
excessive taxes in order to raise the money to maintain his reputation
for generosity. Ultimately, the prince’s liberality will make the
people despise and resent him. Moreover, any prince who attempts
to change his reputation for generosity will immediately develop
a reputation for being a miser.
A parsimonious, or ungenerous, prince may be perceived
as miserly in the beginning, but he will eventually earn a reputation
for generosity. A prince who is thrifty and frugal will eventually
have enough funds to defend against aggression and fund projects
without having to tax the people unduly.
In history, the actions of Pope Julius II, the present
king of France, and the present king of Spain all support the view
that parsimony enables the prince to accomplish great things. Some
might argue that successful leaders have come to power and sustained their
rule by virtue of their generosity, such as Caesar. But if Caesar had
not been killed, he would have found that maintaining his rule required
moderating his spending.
In sum, generosity is self-defeating. Generosity uses
up resources and prevents further generosity. While parsimony might
lead to ignominy, generosity will eventually lead to hatred.
