Niccolo Machiavelli, (1469-1527)

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Niccolo Machiavelli, (1469-1527)

• The Prince written in1513 published in 1532

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The rise of towns and the new middle class of the
1100s the burghers- were crucial in setting
in motion and preparing the foundations for the
modern, political world.
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Limitations on medieval kings

• gt Chosen by and answerable to landed nobles
• gt The Oath of Fealty Homage
• gt Accountable to the Church
• gt Limited by town charters

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The Founding of National Monarchies European
elites - nobles, clerics and burghers ...
grudgingly gave allegiance to ambitious monarchs-
- a single, strong ruler seemed the only
alternative to the brutal pattern of war and
civil strife so common during the era of feudalism
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By the end of the 11th century, and for the
following 200 years, kings imposed greater order
in their territories. Where these kings
succeeded, strong dynastic states emerged.
Where the monarchs failed, as they did in the
Holy Roman Empire and Italy, no viable states
evolved until the 1860s.
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Louis IX r 1226-1270 aka Saint Louis
gt king at 11 gt dedicated to make France the most
Christian of all nations gt led 2
Crusades gtattended 2 masses a day gt prohibited
cursing at his court gt built churches and
monasteries gt prohibited usury aided the poor,
sick and the helpless gthelped Robert de
Sorbonne establish his school gt
Issued laws for his entire realm gt Prohibited
private warfare among his nobles
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The End Justifies the Means The Prince, 1532
Niccolo Machiavelli, 1469-1527
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DEDICATION To the Magnificent Lorenzo Di Piero
De Medici Those who strive to obtain the good
graces of a prince are accustomed to come before
him with such things as they hold most precious,
or in which they see him take most delight
whence one often sees horses, arms, cloth of
gold, precious stones, and similar ornaments
presented to princes, worthy of their greatness.
Desiring therefore to present myself to your
Magnificence with some testimony of my devotion
towards you, I have not found among my
possessions anything which I hold more dear than,
or value so much as, the knowledge of the actions
of great men, acquired by my long experience in
contemporary affairs, and a continual study of
antiquity which, having reflected upon it with
great and prolonged diligence, I now send,
digested into a little volume, to your
Magnificence. What is Machiavelli offering?
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• It may be said of men in general that they are
  ungrateful, voluble dissemblers, anxious to
  avoid danger.
• As long as you benefit them, they are entirely
  yours they offer you their blood, their goods,
  their life and their children.
• But a prince who relies solely on their word,
  without making other preparations, is ruined.

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• By no means can a prudent ruler keep his
  word.If all men were good it would be all right
  to keep promises, but because they are bad and do
  not keep promises to you, you likewise do not
  have to keep promises to them.
• His view of human nature?

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• It is better to be feared than lovedWhen it is
  impossible to be both feared and loved, choose to
  be feared. Mens affections are very changeable,
  but fear and terror keeps people loyal and
  subservient.
• What brings more loyalty Love or Fear?

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A prince must take great care that nothing goes
out of his mouth which does not seem to be
merciful, faithfull, humane, sincere and
religious.Everybody sees what you appear to be,
few really know who you are... How important
is public image?
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• every prince must desire to be considered
  merciful and not cruel. He must however, take
  care not to misuse this mercifulness. Cesare
  Borgia was considered cruel, but his cruelty
  brought order to Romagna, united it and reduced
  it to peace.
• What point is he making here?

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• You must know then, that there are two methods
  of fighting, the one by law, the other by force
• The first method is that of men, the second of
  beasts but as the first method is often
  insufficient, one must have recourse to the
  second.
• How are the two methods of fighting different?

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• Let a prince therefore aim at conquering and
  maintaining the state, and the means will always
  be judged honorably and praised by everyone in so
  far as the end justifies the means.