Summary — Chapter XVII: Concerning Cruelty: Whether
It Is Better to Be Loved Than to Be Feared, or the Reverse
Compassion, like generosity, is usually admired. But a
prince must be careful that he does not show compassion unwisely.
If a prince is too compassionate, and does not adequately punish
disloyal subjects, he creates an atmosphere of disorder, since his
subjects take the liberty to do what they please—even to the extremes
of murder and theft. Crime harms the entire community, whereas executions harm
only the individuals who commit crimes. Some measure of cruelty
is necessary to maintain order. But a prince should be careful in
his exercise of cruelty, tempering it with humanity and prudence.
Machiavelli then asks whether being feared or loved is
preferable. Ideally, a prince should be both loved and feared, but
this state of affairs is difficult to attain. Forced to make a choice,
it is much better to be feared than loved. This is because men,
by nature, are “ungrateful, fickle, dissembling, anxious
to flee danger, and covetous of gain.” In times of remote danger,
they are willing to take risks for their prince, but if the danger
is real, they turn against their prince. It is easy to break a bond
of love when the situation arises, but the fear of punishment is
always effective, regardless of the situation.
When inducing fear, however, a prince must be careful
to avoid inducing hatred. He must make sure that any executions
are properly justified. Above all, a prince should never confiscate
the property of his subjects or take their women, since these actions
are most likely to breed hatred. If a prince must confiscate property,
he must make sure he has a convincing reason. With one’s army, however, there
is no such thing as too much cruelty. Keeping an army disciplined
and united requires cruelty, even inhuman cruelty.
Analysis — Chapters XV–XVII
Chapter XV attacks the conceptions of virtue proposed
by classical philosophers. Machiavelli criticizes the concept of
a “good life,” the Aristotelian doctrine that demands virtuous actions
in all types of behavior. Machiavelli debunks Aristotle’s metaphysical
approach to politics by arguing that metaphysics is inconsistent
with the real world. Ultimately, a philosophy must be judged by
its practical consequences. Because virtue, as an abstract concept,
does not concern itself with such consequences, it can never serve
as an effective guide for political action. Machiavelli’s definition
of virtue is not the same as that of classical philosophers. While
Aristotle and others define virtue in relation to a highest good,
Machiavelli defines it simply as that which receives the praise
of others. Thus, generosity is a virtue only because other people
praise it.
From this premise, Machiavelli builds a case for the
necessity of committing certain crimes. A prince, if he truly wishes
to safeguard his state, will inevitably be forced to act in a manner
that others consider evil or deplorable. Although Machiavelli only
mentions cruelty and stinginess in Chapters XVI and XVII, the argument
could extend to other so-called vices, such as stubbornness
or cowardice. The mind of Machiavelli’s prince is cold and calculating,
concerned with ends rather than means. Virtually any action that
contributes to the overall goal of maintaining control of the state
is acceptable to him.
Unlike the previous chapters, which contain specific instructions regarding
domestic, international, and military affairs, these chapters deal
with general trends of popular opinion that might affect the prince’s
actions. Machiavelli urges the prince not to worry too much about
what others might think of his actions and to act only in the way
that will result in the best practical advantage—which will often
garner greater approval from other people in the long run. In most
cases, the prince must favor miserliness over generosity, and cruelty
over benevolence. But Machiavelli does not advocate wholesale cruelty
or a complete lack of generosity; it is possible for a prince to
be too miserly or too cruel. A prince might choose cowardice over
courage—for example, fleeing a palace under siege instead of remaining
and rallying the people—but the effectiveness of either option depends
on the surrounding circumstances. The advice put forth in these
chapters is substantially less concrete than that offered in previous
chapters.
