Machiavellis The Prince: Politics, War, and Human Nature Essay

Machiavellis The Prince Politics, War, and human Nature It is necessary for a prince to know well how to use the zoology and the man. (Machiavelli, The Prince, p. 691). In this swift blow, Niccol Machiavelli seems to strike d profess numerous visions of morality give up on pedestals by thinkers before his time. He doesnt turn to deity or to some style of common near(a) for his political morality. Instead, he turns to the individual?more specifically, self-preservation in a position of power. Machiavellis vision rules issue the possibility of a higher political authority if higher is meant to say that the morality comes from the divine, b atomic number 18ly his vision certainly does not rule out any sort of higher political morality. To guide the actions of men in general, Machiavelli turns to the actions of the strong prince. Machiavelli?s higher political morality is to pursue the means to gain and keep back power. Machiavelli approaches the topic of political morality in a completely opposite way than many of the thinkers that preceded him. Instead of beginning with the way things should be beneath ideal conditions, he goes straight for reality and observes what he believes to be barbarity and savagery being played out in politics. Machiavelli reasons that politics is war, no matter which way you cut it. ?Thus, you must know that there are two kinds of combat one with laws, the other with force. The first is proper to man, the consequence to beasts but because the first is often not enough, one must convey recourse to the second.? (Machiavelli, p.69). Notice that ?laws? are a type of combat. Again, Machiavelli swerves away from the raceway that many thinkers would take at this point. Instead of launching a lit crit of m... ...nocent on all counts of breaking campaign promises, selling out allies, shoddy voters, and doing something right for the wrong reasons. Sure, the world would be a better ordinate if all men acted like men (and not beasts), but since at least some will act like beasts, then anyone who wants to gain must also be willing to act like a beast if necessary. ?For a man who wants to make a profession of good in all regards must come to ruin among so many who are no good.? (Machiavelli, p. 61). Machiavelli was right. Politics is war, and to win in that war for your own good and the common good, you must know the man and the beast.1 Machiavelli, Niccol. The Prince. Trans. Harvey C. Mansfield. Chicago, 1998.2 Augustine. The City of immortal against the Pagans. Trans. R. W. Dyson. Cambridge, 1998.3 Aristotle. Politics. Trans. Ernest Barker. Oxford 1995.