Statesmanship & Warcraft
Machiavelli believes that good laws follow naturally from
a good military. His famous statement that “the presence of sound
military forces indicates the presence of sound laws” describes
the relationship between developing states and war in The
Prince. Machiavelli reverses the conventional understanding
of war as a necessary, but not definitive, element of the development
of states, and instead asserts that successful war is the very foundation
upon which all states are built. Much of The Prince is
devoted to describing exactly what it means to conduct a good war:
how to effectively fortify a city, how to treat subjects in newly
acquired territories, and how to prevent domestic insurrection that
would distract from a successful war. But Machiavelli’s description
of war encompasses more than just the direct use of military force—it
comprises international diplomacy, domestic politics, tactical strategy,
geographic mastery, and historical analysis. Within the context
of Machiavelli’s Italy—when cities were constantly threatened by
neighboring principalities and the area had suffered through power
struggles for many years—his method of viewing almost all affairs
of state through a military lens was a timely innovation in political
thinking.
Goodwill & Hatred
To remain in power, a prince must avoid the hatred of
his people. It is not necessary for him to be loved; in fact, it
is often better for him to be feared. Being hated, however, can
cause a prince’s downfall. This assertion might seem incompatible
with Machiavelli’s statements on the utility of cruelty, but Machiavelli
advocates the use of cruelty only insofar as it does not compromise
the long-term goodwill of the people. The people’s goodwill is always
the best defense against both domestic insurrection and foreign
aggression. Machiavelli warns princes against doing things that
might result in hatred, such as the confiscation of property or
the dissolution of traditional institutions. Even installations
that are normally valued for military use, such as fortresses, should
be judged primarily on their potential to garner support for the
prince. Indeed, only when he is absolutely sure that the people
who hate him will never be able to rise against him can a prince
cease to worry about incurring the hatred of any of his subjects.
Ultimately, however, obtaining the goodwill of the people has little
or nothing to do with a desire for the overall happiness of the
populace. Rather, goodwill is a political instrument to ensure the
stability of the prince’s reign.
Free Will
Machiavelli often uses the words “prowess” and “fortune”
to describe two distinct ways in which a prince can come to power. “Prowess”
refers to an individual’s talents, while “fortune” implies chance
or luck. Part of Machiavelli’s aim in writing The Prince is
to investigate how much of a prince’s success or failure is caused
by his own free will and how much is determined by nature or the
environment in which he lives. Machiavelli applies this question
specifically to the failure of past Italian princes. In Chapter
XXV, Machiavelli discusses the role of fortune in determining human
affairs. He attempts to compromise between free will and determinism
by arguing that fortune controls half of human actions and leaves
the other half to free will. However, Machiavelli also argues that
through foresight—a quality that he champions throughout the book—people
can shield themselves against fortune’s vicissitudes. Thus, Machiavelli
can be described as confident in the power of human beings to shape
their destinies to a degree, but equally confident that human control
over events is never absolute.
Virtue
Machiavelli defines virtues as qualities that are praised
by others, such as generosity, compassion, and piety. He argues
that a prince should always try to appear virtuous, but that acting
virtuously for virtue’s sake can prove detrimental to the principality.
A prince should not necessarily avoid vices such as cruelty or dishonesty
if employing them will benefit the state. Cruelty and other vices should
not be pursued for their own sake, just as virtue should not be
pursued for its own sake: virtues and vices should be conceived
as means to an end. Every action the prince takes must be considered
in light of its effect on the state, not in terms of its intrinsic
moral value.
Human Nature
Love endures by a bond which men, being
scoundrels, may break whenever it serves their advantage to do so; but
fear is supported by the dread of pain, which is ever present.
See Important Quotations Explained
Machiavelli asserts that a number of traits are inherent
in human nature. People are generally self-interested, although
their affection for others can be won and lost. They are content
and happy so long they are not victims of something terrible. They
may be trustworthy in prosperous times, but they will quickly turn
selfish, deceitful, and profit-driven in times of adversity. People
admire honor, generosity, courage, and piety in others, but most
of them do not exhibit these virtues themselves. Ambition is commonly
found among those who have achieved some power, but most common
people are satisfied with the status quo and therefore do not yearn
for increased status. People will naturally feel a sense of obligation
after receiving a favor or service, and this bond is usually not
easily broken. Nevertheless, loyalties are won and lost, and goodwill
is never absolute. Such statements about human nature are often
offered up as justifications for the book’s advice to princes. While
Machiavelli backs up his political arguments with concrete historical
evidence, his statements about society and human nature sometimes
have the character of assumptions rather than observations.
