Machiavellis Ideas Of Government
THE PRINCE: Themes and Ideas
During Machiavelli’s time, society was much different than it had been for previous philosophers. Instead of storing up good works, so as to enjoy paradise, as the medieval man did, the Renaissance man was interested in all things, enjoyed life, strove for worldly acclaim and wealth, and had a deep interest in classical civilizations. He was born at a time of conflict within Florence, Italy, between the republican leaders and the family of the Medici’s, of which the Machiavelli’s, especially, had a history of opposition towards. After years of conflict between powers, Machiavelli was exiled from his country.
It was during this exile that he ...
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does note in his book that in order to gain the favor of a prince, you must present him with a gift; that was the purpose of his novel. In it, Machiavelli analysis’s the various types of monarchies, analysis’s of the different types of states, how they may be obtained, and how they should be ruled. He also describes how power is seized and retained, how to rule the military forces and, the essence of his work, how a prince should act in all circumstances in order to accomplish these tasks.
The first philosopher who did not try to lecture or preach on how to reach the ‘ideal state’ was Machiavelli. He saw society differently:
Since it is my intention to write something of use..., I deem it best to stick to the practical truth of things rather than to fancies. Many men have imagined republics and principalities that never existed at all. Yet the way men live is so far removed from the way they ought to live that anyone who abandons what is for what should ...
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reach the ideals of perfection, but Machiavelli would argue that perfection is not real and so is not worth striving for. Instead, one must live for ones self. He makes the generalization of men that:
they are ungrateful, fickle, dissembling, anxious to flee danger, and covetous of gain. So long as you promote their advantage, they are all yours. . .and will offer you their blood, their goods, their lives, and their children when the need for these I remote. When the need arises, however, they will turn against you. . . .Men are less concerned about offending someone they have cause to love than someone they have cause to fear. Love endures by a bond which men, being scoundrels, may ...
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"Machiavellis Ideas Of Government." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 29 Sep. 2006. Web. 1 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Machiavellis-Ideas-Of-Government/53157>
"Machiavellis Ideas Of Government." Essayworld.com. September 29, 2006. Accessed December 1, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Machiavellis-Ideas-Of-Government/53157.
"Machiavellis Ideas Of Government." Essayworld.com. September 29, 2006. Accessed December 1, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Machiavellis-Ideas-Of-Government/53157.
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