NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

1469-1527
 INTRODUCTION
• He personifies the • The emergence of
transformation from modern political
the medieval to the institution, the nation-
modern era state: England, France,
• Lived during the Spain
renaissance; period of
new science; a revolt
against traditional
constraints subjected to
the church
 INTRODUCTION
• He was born in Florence,
and during that time Italy
was not a nation but
collection of mostly small,
independent city-states
which were in conflict
with each other.
• Florence was invaded by
France, and a new
government was
established replacing the
Medici family.
 INTRODUCTION
• He joined this new
government. He was a
high-level civil servant
in charge of military
operations. He also
served the diplomatic
corps as an envoy from
Florence to various
rulers.
 INTRODUCTION
• French was then defeated
by Spanish; Medici were
restored to power.
• Machiavelli was suspected
of treason by the new rulers
and was imprisoned and
tortured. He was exiled to
his country home.
• He started writing;
– The Prince, 1513
– Discourses
 INTRODUCTION
• The Prince:
– Dedicated to the new Medici
ruler, Lorenzo, as a plea for
forgiveness.
– As his job application. Only be
offered a year before his
death.
– Two goals of the wirings:
• His desire to return active
government service
• Promoting stability and
freedom from every kind of
foreign control, secular or
religious, for all of Italy (was
constantly subjected to
foreign control: France, Spain
and papacy)
 MACHIAVELLI’S METHOD
• New science of politics:
– Not concern with concept
of good or evil, such as
Plato’s forms or Aquinas’s
divine law.
– The real important is the
needs of living beings on
earth
– Political evaluations
should not be based on the
past philosophers had said:
like seek salvation, reject
appetite
 MACHIAVELLI’S METHOD
• Stable government:
– Not based on the imagined
human potential
– People should be treated
based on what they are
like in fact, observable
traits such as their selfish
motives
– Only a correct awareness
of reality can lead one to
strong, stable government.
– Thus people must
recognize that private
morality cannot be applied
in public affairs.
 MACHIAVELLI’S METHOD
• Stable government;
 What is evil on one , might be
good and useful to other
 Politics to be separated and
distinct from ethics, morality
and religion.
 People should reject what
they might think ought to be
for what is
 Should be miserly rather
than liberal, feared rather
than loved, and faithless and
deceptive, even violent, if
necessary to achive
important goals.
 individual must not seek
the ideal, but settle for
“taking the least harmful as
good.”
 If people take a clear,
hardheaded, realistic look
at history (to learn not
imitate) , they can set
themselves to political
success.
 Learn from the past deeds,
not from philosophy or
theology
 HUMAN NATURE
• His basis;
 “ The desire to acquire
possessions is a very
natural and ordinary
thing, and when those
men do it who can do so
successfully, they are
always praised and not
blamed, but when they
cannot and yet want to do
so at all costs, they make
a mistake deserving of
great blame.”
 HUMAN NATURE
• Humans are selfish • Each individual is fully
animals: responsible for his or her
– Reject the ancient or choices and actions both
medieval ideas: individually and equally,
– People are not by nature as everyone equally
community oriented shares a human nature
– People must satisfy their that is selfish.
appetite and at the same
time establish stable
government, however
tenuous.
– People may also embrace
rational politics, even
religious salvation, if they
deem these goals worthly.
 POWER
• Power as a positive  A prince ; not to help
concept: others, to be stingy, cruel,
 X negative value. deceptive, to get others to
 “ A man who wishes to do dirty work so that they
make a profession of can escape blame.
goodness in everything must
necessarily come to grief
among so many who are not
good. Therefore, it is
necessary for a prince, who
wishes to maintain himself,
to learn how not to be good,
and to use his knowledge
and not use it, according to
the necessity of the case.”
 POWER
• Political Founders:  Those who appear good or
 Not all negatives qualities are altruistic to others are
lauded; only the “well either rational actors really
permitted” and attain their motivated by desire for
proper ends. personal advantage, or
 Not to destroy the
government; to impose a
ruled by laziness and
new order of things; can use retreating from political
whatever means necessary, responsibility
cruel or manipulative.
 He condemned those who
destroy religions, government
and armies
 They are the impious and
violent, the ignorant, the idle,
the vile and degraded.
 FORTUNE AND VIRTUE
• Both coexist in an uneasy dialectic. Fortune sets the
conditions for success and virtue realizes them.
• Nobody has completely free will; everyone act in situations
that are limited by circumstances
• It differentiate between elites and masses. Masses are
more dominated by fortune.
• Known as fate or God’s will.
• It is an incalculable power beyond the control of humans
• It is a vibrant, energetic force that endangers the liberty of
those it controls.
• It is the cause of disastrous wars, which result in death for
some and the loss of freedom for others.
 FORTUNE AND VIRTUE
• Government dominated by it destabilize, losing
relative strength and independence, threatening total
breakdown, and opening themselves to conquest.
• But it only ruler of half our actions. By gaining
knowledge, people can limit the influence of fortune.
It help to wrestle with it and thus more fully control
their destiny through the exercise of virtue.
• One must adapt to circumstances and change, be
hesitant and careful, or bold and forceful, as each
“occasion” demands.
 FORTUNE AND VIRTUE
• Virtue is the individualistic and secular
excellence rather than idealistic merit of the
ancients or the moral goodness of medieval
thinkers.
• It is a quality of elites, a true selfishness that
enables individuals to get what they value,
whether power, wealth, fame or even liberty
• All life, and political life, is an unending
struggle by people to express their virtue.
 FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
• Many variations are possible; only two kinds
are essential:
– (1)Monarchies and republic: based on the favour
of the inhabitants
• Most stable government
• Founded by the strong, inspiring leader rallying a
virtuous citizenry
• A constitutional; a good government; based on law;
governed in the interest of the most people; a mixed
because members of all classes have an opportunity to
participate as citizens.
 FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
• (2) Tyrannies:
– People are less virtuous
– All laws and institutions cannot preserve liberty
– The masses are subjects, enjoy some political liberty
in the form of independent, stable government.
– Individual liberty is greater for ruling class than the
masses.
– Lacking the virtue required of citizens, they both
merit and need tyranny; for them, minimal liberty is
better than none.
 FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
• (2) Tyrannies;
– When a tyrant rule the vulgar masses who lack
virtue, ordinary morality is not binding.
– The ruler’s virtue is then the ability to remain in
power and maintain stability by always being
prepared to use whatever means are necessary.
• Generosity and kindness, fraud, use of physical force
• But “ of all things that a prince must guard against, the
most important are being despicable or hated, “ and “
every prince must desire to be considered merciful and
not cruel.”
 FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
• (2) tyrannies:
– His suggestions for fraudulent behaviour to preserve
a bad polis;
• Dazzling the public with conspicuous deeds and speeches
• Using persuasive talents to lull/ silence potential challengers
• Employing religion in a duplicitous/ deceitful way; to
manipulate the masses, keeping them in line when the fear
of secular punishment is not sufficient to secure obedience.
• Reputation is the most important for ruler
 FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
• (2) tyrannies
– Must impose the single standard; the standard
pious code of unselfish behaviour based on
traditional values; honesty, loyalty, obedience,
peace, and trust.
– Use secrecy and deception to maintain the
separation of the two moralities.
– Thus in the Prince, dwell on the extralegal means,
based on the conditions, as in tyranny.
 CONCLUSION
• Machiavelli political theory was based on the
dynamic relationship between princes and
people, fortune and virtues, force and fraud,
elites and masses, stability and liberty, tyranny
and republic, individual and collectivity.
• He was the first to recognize the importance and
potential of nation-state.
• The first philosopher of modern citizenship.
• Selfishness as tool to build a stable, free nation-
state.
 CONCLUSION
• Political consideration is supreme, and all
others like values such as morality, religion,
ethics, justice, while important, is
subordinate, instrumental, and dependent on
the nature of people.
• He separate between the personal morality
and necessary political practice.
 CONCLUSION
• His principles of successful conduct of state:
– Must take the Selfish human nature and act
accordingly.
– Must be virtuous, in the modern sense of imitating
both a fox and lion, force and fraud, to secure the
power
– Work for greater liberty, both individual and political;
must be flexible and ready to use any means
– When stability is fragile and uncertain, ethics and
morality must be set aside for “ reason of state”