Politics: Blue laws, Congress, Iliad in modern times, Justice, Mobolobocrazy, One size fits all, Petition to Senate Minority Leader, The Pissants, Politics, Potomac Swamp, Rule of law, The State of the Union, Directory
People in Politics: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Tom Daschle, Gray Davis, Howard Dean, Al Gore1, Al Gore2, Bob Graham, Jim Jeffries, Tim Johnson, John Kerry, Machiavelli, Massachusetts Politics, John McCain, Seven Old Ladies, Directory
******
It is said that when Machiavelli served the Italian state as a diplomat he took no account of honesty or morals. He was banned from office and wrote Il Principe (Prince) which was published after his death. The book gave advice on how one in authority should act; and Machiavelli's reputation as a consummate master of all the tricks and strategies of politics rest pretty much on this chapter from the book:
"Should Princes be faithful to their engagements?
It is unquestionably very praiseworthy in princes to be faithful to their engagements; but among those of the present day who have preformed great exploits few of them have piqued themselves of this fidelity, or have been scrupulous in deceiving those who relied on their good faith. It should therefore be known that there are two methods of warfare; one of which is by laws, the other by force. The first is peculiar to men, the other is common to us with beast. But when laws are not powerful enough, it is very necessary to recur to force. A prince ought to understand how to fight with both these kind of arms.
The doctrine is admirably displayed to us by the ancient poets in allegorical history of the education of Achilles, and many other princes of antiquity, by the Centaur Chiron who, under the double form of man and beast, taught those who were destined to govern that it was their duty to use by turns the arms adapted to each of these species, seeing that one without the other cannot be of nay durable advantage.
Now these animals whose forms the prince should know how to assume are the fox and the lion. The first can but feebly defend himself against the wolf, and the other readily falls into snares that are laid for him. From the first a prince will learn to be dexterous, and avoid the snares; and from the other to be strong, and keep the wolves in awe. Those who despise the part of the fox understand but little of their trade. In other words, a prudent prince cannot nor ought to keep his word, except when he can do it without injury to himself, or when the circumstances under which he contracted the engagement still exist.
I should be cautious of inculcating such a principle if all men were good; but as they are all wicked, and ever ready to break their words, a prince should not pique himself in keeping his more scrupulously � and it is always easy to justify this want of faith. I could give numerous proofs of it, and show how many engagements are treaties have been broken by the infidelity of princes; the most fortunate of whom has always been he who best understood how to assume the character of the fox. The object is to act his part well, and to know how in due time to feign and dissemble. And men are so simple and so weak that he who wishes to deceive easily finds dupes.
One example, taken from the history of our own times, will be sufficient: Pope Alexander VI played during his whole life a game of deception; and notwithstanding his faithless conduct was extremely well known, he was in all his artifices successful. Oaths and protestations cost him nothing. Never did a prince so often break his word, nor pay less regard to his engagements. This was because he knew perfectly well this part of the art of government.
There is therefore no necessity for a prince to possess all the good qualities I have enumerated; but it is indispensable that he should appear to have them. I will even go so far as to say that it is sometimes dangerous to make use of them, though it is always useful to seem to possess them. It is the duty of a prince most earnestly to endeavor to gain the reputation of kindness, clemency, piety, justice and fidelity to his engagements. He ought to possess all these good qualities, but still to retain such power over himself as to display their opposites whenever it may be expedient. I maintain it that a prince � and more especially a new prince � cannot with impunity exercise all the virtues, because his own self-preservation will often compel him to violate the laws of charity, religion, and humanity. He should habituate himself to bend easily to the various circumstances which may from time to time surround him. In a word, it will be as useful to him to persevere in the path of rectitude, while he feels no inconvenience in doing so, as to know how to deviate from it when circumstances shall require it. He should, above all, study to utter nothing which does not breathe kindness, justice, good faith, and piety.
The last quality is however that which it is the most important for him to appear to possess, as men in general judge more by their eyes than by their other senses. Every man can see, but it is allotted to but few to know how to rectify the errors which they commit by the eyes. We easily discern what a man appears to be, but not what he really is; and the smaller number dare not gainsay the multitude, who besides have with them the strength and the splendor of government.
Now when it is necessary to form a judgment of the minds of men � and more especially of those princes � as we cannot have recourse to any tribunal, we must attend only to results. The point is to maintain his authority. Let the means be what they may, they will always appear honorable, and everyone will praise them; for the vulgar are always caught by appearances, and judge only by the event. Now, the "vulgar" comprehend almost every one, and the few are of no consequence except when the multitude know not on whom to rely.
A prince who is now on the throne, but whom I do not choose to name [he refers to Ferdinand V. King of Aragon and Castile, (of New World fame) who acquired the kingdoms of Naples and Vavarre"], always preaches peace and good faith; but if he had observed either the one or the other, he would more than once have lost his reputation and his dominions."
The Prince Chapter 18, as translated by Byerley, The University of Literature , vol. 14,W. H. DePuy, New York, J. S. Barcus & Co. 1897. Niccolo Machiavelli
So we have it based on the above; Niccolo Machiavelli became a popular symbol of politicians and national leaders whose philosophy is that the end justifies the means.
As others see him:
"Through his book Il Principe (or the Prince ) he has become known as the founder of political science. Unfair critics have maligned him, claiming that he believed a ruler to be justified in using any means, no matter how unscrupulous to maintain his power. For this reason a Machiavellian policy now means a policy of craft, cunning, and bad faith." Word Origins and their Romantic Stories - Wilfred Funk, Bell Publishing Co. 1978, New York.
It is interesting to note that "In the 20th century, some critics began to react against the traditional conception of Machiavelli, inherited from the Elizabethan period, which presented him as a diabolical villain, and to interpret him instead as a early political idealist, seeking to unify Italy by appealing to the ambitions of the Renaissance princes, especially of the Medici family." The Reader's Encyclopedia.
Perhaps writers (or politicians) are trying to give Machiavelli an new image to justify political actions?
We recently had a politician who claimed that he was a constitutional scholar. Somehow from his humble origins he inculcated the teaching of Machiavelli and proved that then, as now, Machiavelli was right. "Man is a dupe."
And Samuel Butler wrote in 1650:
Nick Machiavel had ne'er a trick, Tho' he gave his name to our old Nick.
Hudibras , Part iii. Canto i.
For all his schemes, Machiavelli was unable to turn events to his own good or betterment.
****
Joe Wortham's Home Page, About Joe Wortham, Directory of Web Pages
Questions? Comments? [email protected]