Virtue and Prince - 4449 Words

The Prince is concerned with autocratic regimes Autocracy regime Regime autocracy a mode or system of rule or government of or relating to an absolute and unrestricted ruler a ruling or prevailing system. domineering or dictatorial a government in power. Wikipedia The Qualities of a Prince (Chapters 14-19) Each of the following chapters presents a discussion about a particular virtue or vice that a prince might have, and is therefore structured in a way which appears like traditional advice for a prince. However the advice is far from traditional. [edit] A Princes Duty Concerning Military Matters (Chapter 14) Machiavelli believes that a princes main focus should be on perfecting the art of†¦show more content†¦Machiavelli says this required inhuman cruelty which he refers to as a virtue. Scipios men, on the other hand, were known for their mutiny and dissension, due to Scipios excessive mercy - which was however a source of glory because he lived in a republic. [edit] In what way princes should keep their word (Chapter 18) Machiavelli notes that a prince is praised for keeping his word. However, he also notes that a prince is also praised for the illusion of being reliable in keeping his word. A prince, therefore, should only keep his word when it suits his purposes, but do his utmost to maintain the illusion that he does keep his word and that he is reliable in that regard. Therefore, a prince should not break his word unnecessarily. As Machiavelli notes, â€Å"He should appear to be compassionate, faithful to his word, guileless, and devout. And indeed he should be so. But his disposition should be such that, if he needs to be the opposite, he knows how.† As noted in chapter 15, the prince must appear to be virtuous, and should be virtuous, but he should be able to be otherwise when the time calls for it; that includes being able to lie, though however much he lies he should always keep the appearance of being truthful. [edit] Avoiding contempt and hatred (Chapter 19) Machiavelli observes that most men are content as long as they are not deprived of their property and women. A prince should command respect through his conduct, because aShow MoreRelatedThe Transformative Works Of Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince ( 1532 ) And Thomas More s Utopia1359 Words   |  6 PagesThe transformative works Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince (1532) and Thomas More’s Utopia (1516) display vastly different opinions and perspectives on the relationship between virtue and politics, however some minor similarities between the two works can be noted. The Prince and Utopia create significant contributions to political theory offering different central claims on virtue and its relationship with politics. Another major point of difference between the two texts is the place that war hasRead MoreMachiavelli And The Apology Of The Prince1718 Words   |  7 Pages Machiavelli writes The Prince centuries after Plato documents Socrates in Crito and The Ap ology. Despite the different time periods, both Machiavelli and Socrates experience times of turmoil where the concept of democracy was questioned. However, the different time periods cause the views and purposes of Machiavelli’s writing to largely differ from Socrates. Machiavelli writes in a time of turmoil where Italy was a bunch of small, fragmented states and when the Medici’s struggled to regainRead MoreMachiavelli s The Prince And The Discourse Essay1328 Words   |  6 Pagesbook which called The Prince. It is about the political ideology of Machiavelli s political realism, which means the effective truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. In this book, he talks about the importance of the concept of virtà º. 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Therefore, itRead MoreThe Source of a Princes Happiness and Misery in Augustine’s City of God and Aquinas’s On Kingship and Machiavelis The Prince1459 Words   |  6 PagesAugustine’s City of God and Aquinas’s On Kingship ideas on how a prince should rule contrast with Niccolo Machiavelli’s described The Prince. Augustine breaks down the true source of a prince’s happiness as revolving around God while Machiavelli focuses on the prince’s material lusts. In On Kingship, Aquinas describes the sources of a prince’s misery being suspicion, jealousy and lust. Machiavelli disagrees, saying those emotions makes a prince happy. Augustine talks about a prince’s happiness in bookRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince999 Words   |  4 Pagesa result, he was held in jail for three weeks and was tortured brutally. After his release, Machiavelli began writing The Prince, a book that outlines in a very straightforward and logical manner how a prince should procure and maintain his princedom. Though he is seemingly expressing his thoughts about how men should approach their journey to princedom in his book, The Prince, there is an underlying cynical discernment about the dark shadow of human nature, perhaps a perception that stemmed fromRead MoreEssay about Plato vs Machiavelli1052 Words   |  5 PagesMachiavelli, the distinction of virtue versus virtu sticks out like a sore thumb. Virtue was the political bases for Plato: All men should behave virtuously at all times. Whereas Machiavelli believed virtu was the basis for political prowess. What was best for the state as a whole was the main concern, and the ends always justified the means. Plato’s object was the creation of a utopian society--a civilization that abhorred war and centered itself upon moral virtue and honor. He saw war as evil;