Machiavelli Flashcards
Should a prince be cruel?
a prince should be cruel if necessary but not overly cruel
What do you NEED to retain power?
you need a domestic power base to retain power
What does Machiavelli state that people don’t expect?
fidelity
Generous or thrifty?
thrifty, only be as generous as you need to be
feared or loved?
feared, being loved is not necessarily the way to accomplish a goal
honest or dishonest?
dishonest, doesn’t see virtue as being honest
What characteristics aren’t endorsed in moral items by Machiavelli?
dishonesty, miserliness, cruelty etc.
as effective means to an end
Is the way he proposes to act morally right or wrong?
morally wrong but he doesn’t care
what does traditional thought indicate?
we can overcome problems with solutions that fall within moral guidelines but machiavelli rejects that
3 options to become the prince of new land?
devastate them (reliable to secure power)
occupy them
allow them to keep their land but tax them (keeps citizens indebted to the prince)
self reliance
self reliance is virtue
is it better to be feared or loved?
it is better to be feared than loved but not hated
as long as he keeps enough people on his side he is secure
why will executing a conspiracy be easy?
if an opponent thinks the people will be happy with the assassination of the prince
what happens if there is not popular support behind the conspiracy?
blowback will come to the conspirator
what is the currency of the prince?
GLORY
what should princes be known for and what helps achieve that?
princes should be known for outstanding ability and public displays of accomplishments help achieve that
why does choice of allies become important?
neutrality doesn’t give you long term glory
who should you ally with?
ally with forces stronger than you if needed but ideally ally yourself with winning forces weaker than you
what makes the prince look good/bad?
good ministers/bad ministers
what kind of ministers do you want?
you want ministers who can think on their own but do not believe they are smarter than the prince
how should you gain loyalty?
loyalty should be rewarded
should a prince want his advisors to agree with him?
a prince should not want his advisors to always agree w/ him
what would advisors offering unsolicited advice do?
it would ruin the power dynamic
The Prince (book)
guidebook for how to rule a monarchy but he didn’t support a monarchy
