Answer:Only a few years before Martin Luther shook the world with his 95 Theses, Niccolo Machiavelli wrote a short book that would revolutionize political theory for the next 500 years. Since that time, Machiavelli’s thought has been applied not only to politics but also to education and business. As this month marks the anniversary of Machiavelli’s birth, it is an appropriate occasion to reflect on his legacy.
Born May 3, 1469, Machiavelli received a humanist education typical of the Renaissance. He was trained in grammar, logic, and rhetoric. As a product of the Renaissance, his studies were based largely on a recovered examination of classical authors from Ancient Greece and Rome. As the greatest minds of the Renaissance era set out to develop and apply comprehensive policies to various cultural and social entities, Machiavelli produced one of the definitive works on political theory and the exercise of political power – a book called The Prince.
In the early 16th century, Machiavelli experienced some success in leading the Florentine militia. However, the Medici family, with military support from Pope Julius II, deposed the Florentine leader. Following the Medici victory, Machiavelli was forced to exit political life, and he shifted his focus to producing works reflecting on politics. In 1513 he wrote The Prince, which he dedicated to Lorenzo de Medici, with the intended purpose of instructing rulers how best to achieve and maintain political power.
Machiavelli, in a distinct break from historical political philosophy, is among the first to remove any concern of morality from the exercise of political power. The Prince reveals that Machiavelli rightly understood that human nature is deeply corrupt and selfish. Therefore, a prince must be vigilant in order to prevent rebellion and disorder if he is to maintain his kingdom or if he wishes to secure new territories.
What results from Machiavelli’s jettisoning of morality and his elevation of the security and maintenance of a kingdom to the highest good for a ruler is a horrifying political ethic. Machiavelli rightly understands that each kingdom and set of circumstances requires a different approach. If a state loves and respects its leader, there is little cause for unease in his heart. However, it is impossible for a prince to please all of his people all of the time. Therefore, in almost all circumstances, the best course of action for a ruler is to instill fear in the people. If fear overwhelms the hearts of the citizens, there is no chance of rebellion. Machiavelli writes, “It has to be noted that men must be either pampered or crushed because they can get revenge for small injuries but not for grievous ones” (10). The spirit of rebellion must be so severely punished that there is no chance of the dissenters ever recovering.
