NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

1469-1527

INTRODUCTION

• He personifies the transformation from the medieval to the modern era

• Lived during the renaissance; period of new science; a revolt against traditional constraints subjected to the church

• The emergence of modern political institution, the nation-state: England, France, Spain

INTRODUCTION• He was born in Florence,

and during that time Italy was not a nation but collection of mostly small, independent city-states which were in conflict with each other.

• Florence was invaded by France, and a new government was established replacing the Medici family.

INTRODUCTION

• He joined this new government. He was a high-level civil servant in charge of military operations. He also served the diplomatic corps as an envoy from Florence to various rulers.

INTRODUCTION• French was then defeated

by Spanish; Medici were restored to power.

• Machiavelli was suspected of treason by the new rulers and was imprisoned and tortured. He was exiled to his country home.

• He started writing;– The Prince, 1513– Discourses

INTRODUCTION• The Prince:

– Dedicated to the new Medici ruler, Lorenzo, as a plea for forgiveness.

– As his job application. Only be offered a year before his death.

– Two goals of the wirings:• His desire to return active

government service• Promoting stability and

freedom from every kind of foreign control, secular or religious, for all of Italy (was constantly subjected to foreign control: France, Spain and papacy)

MACHIAVELLI’S METHOD• New science of politics:

– Not concern with concept of good or evil, such as Plato’s forms or Aquinas’s divine law.

– The real important is the needs of living beings on earth

– Political evaluations should not be based on the past philosophers had said: like seek salvation, reject appetite

MACHIAVELLI’S METHOD• Stable government:

– Not based on the imagined human potential

– People should be treated based on what they are like in fact, observable traits such as their selfish motives

– Only a correct awareness of reality can lead one to strong, stable government.

– Thus people must recognize that private morality cannot be applied in public affairs.

MACHIAVELLI’S METHOD• Stable government;

What is evil on one , might be good and useful to other

Politics to be separated and distinct from ethics, morality and religion.

People should reject what they might think ought to be for what is

Should be miserly rather than liberal, feared rather than loved, and faithless and deceptive, even violent, if necessary to achive important goals.

individual must not seek the ideal, but settle for “taking the least harmful as good.”

If people take a clear, hardheaded, realistic look at history (to learn not imitate) , they can set themselves to political success.

Learn from the past deeds, not from philosophy or theology

HUMAN NATURE• His basis;

“ The desire to acquire possessions is a very natural and ordinary thing, and when those men do it who can do so successfully, they are always praised and not blamed, but when they cannot and yet want to do so at all costs, they make a mistake deserving of great blame.”

HUMAN NATURE• Humans are selfish

animals:– Reject the ancient or

medieval ideas: – People are not by nature

community oriented– People must satisfy their

appetite and at the same time establish stable government, however tenuous.

– People may also embrace rational politics, even religious salvation, if they deem these goals worthly.

• Each individual is fully responsible for his or her choices and actions both individually and equally, as everyone equally shares a human nature that is selfish.

POWER• Power as a positive

concept: X negative value. “ A man who wishes to

make a profession of goodness in everything must necessarily come to grief among so many who are not good. Therefore, it is necessary for a prince, who wishes to maintain himself, to learn how not to be good, and to use his knowledge and not use it, according to the necessity of the case.”

A prince ; not to help others, to be stingy, cruel, deceptive, to get others to do dirty work so that they can escape blame.

POWER• Political Founders:

Not all negatives qualities are lauded; only the “well permitted” and attain their proper ends.

Not to destroy the government; to impose a new order of things; can use whatever means necessary, cruel or manipulative.

He condemned those who destroy religions, government and armies

They are the impious and violent, the ignorant, the idle, the vile and degraded.

Those who appear good or altruistic to others are either rational actors really motivated by desire for personal advantage, or ruled by laziness and retreating from political responsibility

FORTUNE AND VIRTUE• Both coexist in an uneasy dialectic. Fortune sets the

conditions for success and virtue realizes them.• Nobody has completely free will; everyone act in situations

that are limited by circumstances • It differentiate between elites and masses. Masses are

more dominated by fortune.• Known as fate or God’s will.• It is an incalculable power beyond the control of humans• It is a vibrant, energetic force that endangers the liberty of

those it controls.• It is the cause of disastrous wars, which result in death for

some and the loss of freedom for others.

FORTUNE AND VIRTUE• Government dominated by it destabilize, losing

relative strength and independence, threatening total breakdown, and opening themselves to conquest.

• But it only ruler of half our actions. By gaining knowledge, people can limit the influence of fortune. It help to wrestle with it and thus more fully control their destiny through the exercise of virtue.

• One must adapt to circumstances and change, be hesitant and careful, or bold and forceful, as each “occasion” demands.

FORTUNE AND VIRTUE

• Virtue is the individualistic and secular excellence rather than idealistic merit of the ancients or the moral goodness of medieval thinkers.

• It is a quality of elites, a true selfishness that enables individuals to get what they value, whether power, wealth, fame or even liberty

• All life, and political life, is an unending struggle by people to express their virtue.

FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

• Many variations are possible; only two kinds are essential:– (1)Monarchies and republic: based on the favour

of the inhabitants• Most stable government• Founded by the strong, inspiring leader rallying a

virtuous citizenry• A constitutional; a good government; based on law;

governed in the interest of the most people; a mixed because members of all classes have an opportunity to participate as citizens.

FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

• (2) Tyrannies:– People are less virtuous– All laws and institutions cannot preserve liberty– The masses are subjects, enjoy some political liberty in

the form of independent, stable government.– Individual liberty is greater for ruling class than the

masses.– Lacking the virtue required of citizens, they both merit

and need tyranny; for them, minimal liberty is better than none.

FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

• (2) Tyrannies;– When a tyrant rule the vulgar masses who lack

virtue, ordinary morality is not binding.– The ruler’s virtue is then the ability to remain in

power and maintain stability by always being prepared to use whatever means are necessary.• Generosity and kindness, fraud, use of physical force• But “ of all things that a prince must guard against, the

most important are being despicable or hated, “ and “ every prince must desire to be considered merciful and not cruel.”

FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

• (2) tyrannies:– His suggestions for fraudulent behaviour to preserve

a bad polis;• Dazzling the public with conspicuous deeds and speeches• Using persuasive talents to lull/ silence potential challengers• Employing religion in a duplicitous/ deceitful way; to

manipulate the masses, keeping them in line when the fear of secular punishment is not sufficient to secure obedience.

• Reputation is the most important for ruler

FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

• (2) tyrannies– Must impose the single standard; the standard

pious code of unselfish behaviour based on traditional values; honesty, loyalty, obedience, peace, and trust.

– Use secrecy and deception to maintain the separation of the two moralities.

– Thus in the Prince, dwell on the extralegal means, based on the conditions, as in tyranny.

CONCLUSION

• Machiavelli political theory was based on the dynamic relationship between princes and people, fortune and virtues, force and fraud, elites and masses, stability and liberty, tyranny and republic, individual and collectivity.

• He was the first to recognize the importance and potential of nation-state.

• The first philosopher of modern citizenship.• Selfishness as tool to build a stable, free nation-

state.

CONCLUSION

• Political consideration is supreme, and all others like values such as morality, religion, ethics, justice, while important, is subordinate, instrumental, and dependent on the nature of people.

• He separate between the personal morality and necessary political practice.

CONCLUSION

• His principles of successful conduct of state:– Must take the Selfish human nature and act

accordingly.– Must be virtuous, in the modern sense of imitating

both a fox and lion, force and fraud, to secure the power

– Work for greater liberty, both individual and political; must be flexible and ready to use any means

– When stability is fragile and uncertain, ethics and morality must be set aside for “ reason of state”