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It basically approves of just about any behavior as long as the company survives, and that is music to many people's ears.
Machiavelli's advice has little to do with "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." He writes as a man of science and logic, rather than a man of ethics and morality. Machiavelli felt a prince or leader stood above others, and so, was above moral judgment, because his actions were always to maintain and control power for the good of the people, and they would always be seen as honorable, no matter what. How he maintained power really did not matter in Machiavelli's eyes. He writes, "Let a prince therefore act to conquer and to maintain the state; his methods will always be judged honourable and will be praised by all; for ordinary people are always deceived by appearances and by the outcome of a thing" (Machiavelli 60). Today, that is no longer the case. People question ethics and morality, and expect their leaders to act honorably, rather than simply maintaining power at the cost of others.
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Machiavelli wrote during a time of political turmoil, and his ideas were controversial even after he first wrote them. It seems however, that his ideas are touched with cynicism and lack any kind of emotional or ethical empathy. Ethical decision-making involves making the right decision for everyone, but also considering the impact of the decision. Machiavelli shrugs off the impact, noting that the powerful will be seen as honorable no matter what. This is no longer the case, and most people demand ethical behavior combined with good decision making. Thus, Machiavelli's ideas leave a bad taste to this reader, and ethics and morality seem more important than maintaining ultimate control and power. There is enough evil in the world without condoning evil actions to justify the end.
References
Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Trans. Peter Bondanella and Mark Musa. Ed. Peter Bondanella. Oxford: Oxford University, 1998.
Hitler was an aggressive, dominant leader who was revered by many Germans. He overtook Poland and other nations such as Norway with virtually no defense at all because they were unprepared and their leaders did not anticipate or approve of aggression and defense. They were wrong, and it cost them dearly. If these nations had put up a real fight, the war might have had a different outcome. The
MACHIAVELLI's THE PRINCE Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince is one of the most controversial yet enduring political manifestos regarding the differing types of military affairs, principalities, and qualities of a great leader. The Prince has been referenced by academics, directors of corporations, and politicians for centuries, as it provides general, historically proven advice for principalities and republics on how to govern and maintain relations with their most important resource and the essential
It is more about keeping ahead of your competitors, always staying ahead of the game, and playing all the positions adroitly. It is all about power and prestige, and it is fairly amazing that anything constructive gets accomplished when there is so much political posing going on. In that, it is quite difficult to think positively of politics and politicians after reading this book, but that was probably one
46). These ideas are actually in direct contradiction to the prevailing religious philosophies of the time. Machiavelli does not seed men judged by God, or even by other men -- but instead by whether the deed one sought was accomplished or not; and if that deed has eventual ramifications that may be good. This Prince may come to power through evil means from himself, from others, or through historical forces.
By giving benefits little by little, a ruler can close old wounds. (Chapter VIIII) 10. The injuries should be done quickly and swiftly. If a city must be destroy, it must be destroyed all at once. It should be done in such a way so as to ensure no unexpected circumstance pop up. This is despotic way of ruling in my opinion, and the people deserve better. (Chapter VIIII) 11. In
Mainly, the ideals of modern science and philosophy have allowed the religious humanists to meet the stresses of modern life and they would state that their philosophy is for the here and now. Religious Humanism offers a foundation in philosophy which includes moral values, ideals, coping methods and ways to deal with adversity such as flood, hurricane or famine. How would a person like Machiavelli feel about the modern