Machiavelli The Prince Research Paper

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The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli is essentially a guide for a Renaissance prince. It is the first printed work of political science, and the goal that Machiavelli possessed when writing the book was to unite Italy under one ruler. He notably expresses his views on cruelty and clemency, where he declares that it is best to be viewed as cruel to prevent disaster. He also states that it is better to be miserly than liberal because a successful princedom does not use their funds for charity, they use it to protect their subjects. I agree with Machiavelli’s views on cruelty and clemency because without consequences, people disregard the rules of society. Machiavelli argues that making an example of the leader of a rebellion will prevent greater tragedy in the long run. Human nature tempts people to push societal boundaries to see how lenient their rulers are. Today, governments follow Machiavelli’s techniques. For example, instead of destroying an entire rebelling country, governments eliminate their leaders and change the mindsets of the people in order to maintain good relations. Since only an individual is hurt in the process rather than an…show more content…
Machiavelli argues that if a prince is too generous, he will ruin his princedom by depleting it of its funds. He also says that generosity is a trap, and to not worry about a prince’s image because in the end, he provides security to the people. He is right to a certain degree because the money that he donates comes from the taxpayers, but he should set an example for his subjects by donating some of his own valued possessions to the needy. People stand behind rulers that they respect, and it is hard for people to respect someone who they view as greedy. Donating his own possessions will make the subjects respect him because he is generous, and in turn stand behind him when he needs

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