Essay on Machiavelli’s The Prince as a Modern Political...

The Prince as a Modern Political Guidebook Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. (Shakespeare, 2 Henry IV 111.1.31) Kingship and leadership is a human concept. Contraptions and fiction invented by human beings that hold the fabric of society together. It is the job of the leader to make the fiction work for the good of all. The quote above evokes the overall feeling about kingship held by both Prince Hal and his father in Shakespeares Henry plays. Being a leader is perhaps the most difficult position one can ever attain. And in the same vein that King Henry IV says this above line, so does his son King Henry V offer this lament: The slave, a member of the countrys peace, Enjoys it; but†¦show more content†¦This book has caused Machiavellis name to become synonymous with evil. It is perhaps also one of the most famous books written on politics other than Platos Republic. But unlike Plato, Machiavelli does not concern himself with metaphysical realms like the world of the Forms. He deals with the reality of this life, which is the one with which all leaders must deal. The Prince is a guidebook for these leaders. In fact Machiavelli addressed this book to a prince, Lorenzo de Medici, in order to win his favor: Wishing now myself to offer to your Magnificence some proof of my devotion, I have found nothing among all I possess that I hold more dear or esteem more highly than the knowledge of the actions of great men, which I have acquired by long experience of modern affairs, and a continued study of ancient history (Machiavelli 11). So who is this evil genius who wrote the blue print for tyranny? Recently this view of Machiavelli has been repudiated and scholars have become free to analyze the work without having to cast moral judgments on a man who believed he was merely recording the reality of political life. Machiavelli states that the prince must at all times act according to the dictates of necessity. There is no room for idealism and altruism, in fact these are mendacious in the face of the realities of politics: But as my aim is to write something that may be useful to him for whom it is intended, it seems to me proper to pursueShow MoreRelatedNiccolà ² Machiavellis Acquisition of Power Essay1327 Words   |  6 PagesThinkers from Aristotle to Francis Bacon would expound on this idea of a social contract, but none would exemplify the realism and ruthlessness of modern politics like Machiavelli. While the word Machiavellian has become part of our lexicon as a term for the ruthless execution of political will glorifying the â€Å"ends justify the means† mentality, Machiavelli’s true legacy should be found in his belief that the state was more than a contract as Bacon or John Locke would later explain. Machiavelli wasRead MoreThe Political Philosophy Of Niccolo Machiavelli And Socrates1444 Words   |  6 Pagesphilosophers, Niccolo Machiavelli and Socrates laid the groundwork for western political philosophy and modern day politics. Though both lived through times of political transition and war, the fragility of their politics, violence of their wars, and the leaders they lived under influenced the development of their differing ideologies about the governing of principalities. From Machiavelli’s experience, came, â€Å"The Prince,† a guidebook about the importance of self-preservation when leading a principality thatRead MoreMachiavelli and Gossip Girl1497 Words   |  6 Pages Machiavelli’s The Prince is a guide written for the ruling class on how to maintain power, however, royalty is no longer a characteristic that belongs only to a monarch. In The Prince, Machiavelli targets the prince and all other royalty, but today his work may be used as a social critique of upper class society. Thus, a popular television show depicting Manhattan’s elite governed by social media blasts, is no coincidence. It is evident that the creators of the popular television show Gossip GirlRead MoreVladimir Putin and Machiavellis The Prince2685 Words   |  11 Pages Vladimir Putin is one of the most important figures on the global political stage. Since 2000 he has been master of the Kremlin and all Russia. When President Boris Yeltsin first appo inted Putin Prime Minister in 1999; Russia was in the mist of a precipitous decline that followed the break up of the Soviet Union. Nobody expected new Prime Minister to last long, or reverse Russia’s decade long decline. Vladimir Putin has been in charge of the world’s largest county, as President or Prime Minister