Edited Excerpt of The Prince
The Prince
By Niccolo Machiavelli, 1513
The most famous political theoretician of the Renaissance was Niccolo Machiavelli. In his work, The Prince, he gives advices to would be leaders in Italy.
To: Lorenzo de Medici
From: Niccolo Machiavelli
Subject: Advice on ruling Italy
It is important that a prince follow certain methods and rules as regards his subject and friends… A man who tries to be kind in everything will necessarily become sad among so may who are not good. Therefore, it is necessary for a prince who wishes to stay in power to learn how to not be good, and to use this knowledge and not use it, according to each case…
From this the question arises whether it is better to be loved more than feared, or feared more than loved. The reply is, that one ought to be both feared and loved, but as it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved…for it may be said of men in general that they are ungrateful… anxious to avoid danger, and greedy…Men find it easier to attack one who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared….
Still, a prince should make himself feared in such a way that if he does not gain love, he at any rate avoids hatred…and when he must take someone’s life, let him do so when there is a proper reason for it; but above all he must avoid taking the property of others, for men forget more easily the death of their father than the loss of their inheritance…
When the prince is with his army, then it is extremely necessary that he should not mind being that cruel; for without this reputation he could not keep an army united for make them follow orders.
A prince … must imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves… Therefore, a wise ruler ought not to keep his word when by doing so it would be against his interest … if men were all good, this rule would not be a good one; but as they are bad, and would not be honest with you, so you are not bound to keep your word with them…
Thus, it is well to seem merciful, faithful, humane, sincere, religious, and also to be so; but when necessary you must be able to change to the opposite qualities…
To: Lorenzo de Medici
From: Niccolo Machiavelli
Subject: Advice on ruling Italy
It is important that a prince follow certain methods and rules as regards his subject and friends… A man who tries to be kind in everything will necessarily become sad among so may who are not good. Therefore, it is necessary for a prince who wishes to stay in power to learn how to not be good, and to use this knowledge and not use it, according to each case…
From this the question arises whether it is better to be loved more than feared, or feared more than loved. The reply is, that one ought to be both feared and loved, but as it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved…for it may be said of men in general that they are ungrateful… anxious to avoid danger, and greedy…Men find it easier to attack one who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared….
Still, a prince should make himself feared in such a way that if he does not gain love, he at any rate avoids hatred…and when he must take someone’s life, let him do so when there is a proper reason for it; but above all he must avoid taking the property of others, for men forget more easily the death of their father than the loss of their inheritance…
When the prince is with his army, then it is extremely necessary that he should not mind being that cruel; for without this reputation he could not keep an army united for make them follow orders.
A prince … must imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves… Therefore, a wise ruler ought not to keep his word when by doing so it would be against his interest … if men were all good, this rule would not be a good one; but as they are bad, and would not be honest with you, so you are not bound to keep your word with them…
Thus, it is well to seem merciful, faithful, humane, sincere, religious, and also to be so; but when necessary you must be able to change to the opposite qualities…