Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince

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Machiavelli’s the Prince was one earliest pieces on political science. In the book Machiavelli explains his interpretation of the role of human nature in ruling a state. He wrote to the Prince to explain how he should rule his state. Machiavelli’s view on humanism was different from the view of that time period. He felt the Prince should rule in his favor, and rule with the intention to forever maintain complete power. In this time period humanism was understood to be that each individual contributed to the development of the state. The state benefited from the intelligence of the people. The people benefited from the development of the state. In the book it states, "The two most essential foundations for any state, whether it be old or new, or both old and new, are sound laws and sound…show more content…
46). Machiavelli’s beliefs were conflicting. He felt that the people would not be loyal to the Prince. He thought that if there was not a reason the people had to keep their word then why would they. Machiavelli felt the Prince needed some type of reinforcement to hold the people accountable in case they decided not to follow through. In the book he says, “…because men a wretched creatures who would not keep their word to you, you need keep your word to them.” (pg. 44). Machiavelli thought the Prince should rule through fear, so the people would not have any reason to disobey him. He said “that it would be best to be both loved and feared. But since the two rarely come together, anyone compelled to choose will find greater security in being feared than in being loved."(pg.60) Machiavelli felt that the people who disobeyed him should be punished. The people who did what was asked of them should be praised. "A prince must have no other objective, no other thought, nor take up any profession but that of war, its methods and its discipline, for that is the only art expected of a ruler." (pg.53). The whole goal was to get the people serving the Prince to his
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