Machiavelli: The Characteristics Of The Power Of A Prince

972 Words4 Pages
while a leader should possess all these good qualities it is quite impossible to have them all at once, and sometimes trying too hard to be what a prince should be is disastrous and brings his powers down. Acting according to virtue is not always the answer, for immorality is sometimes needed to maintain a position and order. And no prince should worry about his people calling him cruel or not thinking he is merciful to them, because punishing the few people who disagree with his rule is better than letting everyone get involved in the state’s affairs and cause immense disorder. As Machiavelli mentions in the earlier chapter of the book, a prince should be able to keep the balance between being cruel and lenient. He thinks a prince cannot be both loved and feared at the same time, and if needed to choose one of these two then it is better to be feared than loved, his reason for this is that people will love you only when it is convenient for them and will leave you the moment they think you are no longer benefitting them. But being feared is different, if people fear you they will not try to conspire against you, and as long as you don’t touch their properties or women but make sure that you have the power to always do they will fear the punishment that comes after that and will not cause any disorder in the state. Although he mentions that a prince should be careful not be hated by his people because being feared is something and being hated is something else.…show more content…
“I come to the conclusion that, men loving according to their own will and fearing according to that of the prince, a wise prince should establish himself on that which is in his own control and not in that of others; he must endeavour only to avoid hatred, as is
Show More
Related

  • Machiavelli A Prince Analysis

    1501 Words  | 7 Pages

    mind when the word "prince" comes out. People think about a prince as a person who is perfect such that he is a hero, defeats his nation against enemies, and helps citizens. This is the definition of a prince in the function stories. Can a prince be that wonderful in real life? The purpose of having a leaders is to set performance for nation's benefits, cooperation with people for general advantages, and organize the community. Therefore, my argument is that leaders, like princes, are responsible to

    Read More

More about Machiavelli: The Characteristics Of The Power Of A Prince

Open Document