Machiavelli An Analysis
Uploaded by lanester901 on Oct 26, 2011
This paper analyzes a passage from The Prince and relates it to the historical events in Italy at the time. (4+ pages; 1 source; MLA citation style)
I Introduction
Machiavelli is often cited as having invented politics as we know it. He codified his advice to the Florentine rulers, specifically Lorenzo de’ Medici, in The Prince, and the little collection of essays has become a sort of handbook for governing, and for understanding the political process. Its realistic approach to the problems of kingship, including his famous conclusion that it’s better to be feared than loved, has earned him a reputation as a schemer; a sly, cunning man with no conscience. But the truth is that he simply wrote down the maxims that every head of state knows, but few will admit.
This brief paper analyzes a passage from Chapter XIV of The Prince and relates its advice to the situation in Italy at the time Machiavelli wrote.
II Analysis
The passage in question is this: “"As for intellectual training, the prince must read history, studying the actions of eminent men to see how they conducted themselves during war and to discover the reasons for their victories or their defeats, so that he can avoid the latter and imitate the former. Above all, he must read history so that he can do what eminent men have done before him: taken as their model some historical figure who has been praised and honored; and always kept his deeds and actions before them." (This is from the Penguin Books edition; I have the Appleton edition, and although the meaning is the same the words are quite different, so I’ve quoted the whole passage for ease of reference.)
This essay is quite straightforward. In it, Machiavelli is telling Lorenzo what he must do to win battles. He says that first of all, the prince (Lorenzo de’ Medici was the prince referred to in the title of the book) should read history and study previous wars to see how those wars were waged. These historical documents, he suggests, will allow Lorenzo to understand how and why the victors won their fights. Finally, Lorenzo should pick one of these victorious men and use him as a role model for the conduct of his own affairs. (This is like one of our current Army leaders, for instance, asking himself “What would General...