Machiavelli's the prince: political authority and power

Machiavelli's Prince

Niccolo Machiavelli's the Prince, written in 1513 is one of the most widely read books of all time. It is regarded by most people as a sinister guide-line for power-hungry politicians, which teaches political immorality. Others consider it as an important treatise on political science that gives an accurate insight into the working of the human mind and a realistic appraisal of how to effectively govern the 16th century Italian-city states. This essay focuses on Machiavelli's concept of the "new prince" as outlined in the book as well as his relationship with the people.

Machiavelli's Concept of a New Prince

According to Machiavelli there can be two types of rulers of a principality: the hereditary prince or the new prince. The hereditary prince, as the name suggests, inherits family rule of a principality and has a relatively easier time of ruling the territory since most people readily accept his rule as a continuation of the previous ruler and he does not have to change the existing policies. The new prince is the one who acquires new principalities through military or civil means, and finds it much harder to govern and retain control of the territories under his rule. Machiavelli's concept of a prince and most of his advice in the Prince is mainly directed at such a "new prince."

Good Qualities not Necessary: Machiavelli believed that although a 'good' reputation is preferable for a new prince to have, it is not a crucial for success and the maintenance of power. A new prince must only 'appear' to have good qualities such as kindness, trustworthiness, mercifulness, and religiosity but not necessarily practice them. In fact, practicing such 'good' qualities might actually harm rather than benefit a new prince. In other words, according to the Machiavellian theory, hypocrisy is a virtue. Ethical considerations are also considered irrelevant by Machiavelli for affairs of the state and any act which is beneficial for the state is deemed by him as good.

Parsimony rather than Generosity: Machiavelli was of the view that it is better for a new prince to be mean (generally considered to be a 'bad' quality) rather than generous (which is generally considered to be a 'good' quality). He illustrated his point by contending that in practice, a prince can only sustain generosity by burdening his people with taxes, which would eventually cause resentment and hatred. If the prince tempers his generosity, which is difficult to maintain, he will be labeled a miser. Meanness or parsimony, on the other hand, may not make a new prince popular but does not lead to hatred. Machiavelli, therefore, believed that it is better for a prince to be parsimonious rather than generous by declaring in Chapter No. 16 of the Prince: "We have not seen great things done in our time except by those who have been considered mean; the rest have failed."

The Lion and the Fox: Machiavelli emphasized that a new prince must be able to exhibit the qualities of both the lion and the fox in order to be successful. He notes that while the bravery and strength of a lion is desirable in a new prince; this alone would not be enough to enable the ruler to escape the traps set by his enemies. In order to out-maneuver his enemies, he needs to have the slyness of the fox; i.e., a wise prince should be willing to break his pledge if it serves his interests like a cunning fox. Machiavelli admits that exhibiting fox-like cunning may not be necessary if all people were honest, but since they are not, a new prince is better advised to practice deception.

New Prince Imitates Great Men: Machiavelli notes that ambitious and successful men often imitate other great men so that even if they fall short of completely emulating their high levels, they can at least come close. He gives the example of an archer who, judging his target to be too far, aims for a target farther off.

The Art of War: Machiavelli declares that excellence in the art of war is absolutely essential for the new prince for acquiring and holding on to principalities and that the neglect of this art was the chief means of losing power. Hence he advises that a prince should never rest from military thought. Especially in times of peace, a prince must engage in honing his skills and in studying military strategies.

Relationship of the New Prince with the People

Machiavelli realizes the importance of the new prince's relationship with the people and he has repeatedly emphasized its necessity in the Prince.

Gaining Support of the People: When a new prince acquires a new principality or adds territory to his existing rule, he often has to set up new, innovative methods of government. This creates many enemies for him among people who oppose change. On the other hand, according to Machiavelli, the supporters of change are usually passive because most people do not trust or support a government until it is firmly established. Hence, establishing a firm and stable government is a big challenge for a new prince before he can hope to gain the support of the people.

Why is it Necessary for a New Prince to Gain Support of the People? Machiavelli stresses the importance of gaining the support of the people because it is crucial in times of trouble, such as a siege. At the same time, Machiavelli says that a prince should not expect the people to bail him out of trouble. He believes that if a prince is a man of courage and ability, the people will inevitably stand behind him even in times of adversity. Gaining the support of the people is also necessary for a new prince in order to contain the power of the nobles who are a potential source of trouble for a new prince as they are apt to consider themselves as equals to the prince. On the other hand, the people only seek to protect themselves against oppression and if they believe that the new prince can provide such protection they would always support him.

How to Gain Support of the People? Machiavelli has outlined a number of methods through which a prince can gain support of the people. One of them is through delegating potentially unpopular duties to other governing bodies such as the parliament or nobles while keeping the power to dispense favors for himself. In this way, a new prince is able to gain and keep the goodwill of the people and also prevents other potential opponents (such as the parliament) to get too powerful.