Machiavelli Flashcards
Cicero
an Ancient Roman statesman, orator, and philosopher. He was a significant influence on Machiavelli, who was critical of him but still took a lot from him
composite principality
a principality that is either newly created or annexed from another power
these principalities can differ in their culture, language, and attitudes in relation to the prince, since he is an unfamiliar ruler
these principalities pose the most difficulties
Fortuna
Machiavelli’s Fortuna is a major hindrance to political order and a considerable danger to the safety and security of a state. Fortuna is a hostile and unyielding source of human suffering, misfortune, and calamity
glory
in the Prince, glory is expansionist sense, subjugating neighbours as preemptive to defence to liberty. For the prince themselves, it’s success, power and legacy
hereditary principality
a principality ruled by a prince whose family has controlled the principality for several generations
hereditary principalities, according to Machiavelli, are generally easy to rule and maintain
mercenary troops
troops that are paid to perform a service for the prince
because they have no loyalty to the prince, and money is their only inducement to fight, they are unreliable as a means of defense. They will be unwilling to die in battle and therefore will not fight vigorously
third type of freedom
have to be free from B (intervention) to do C, but in order to do B you have to do A (be involved in public life, politics etc)
principality / princedom
a localised territory or region ruled by a prince, from which the term is derived
a prince may rule more than one principality. All principalities can be grouped under the general category of “state.” A principality is ruled autocratically and is therefore distinguished from a republic, the only other type of state
prowess
the ability to conquer and govern
Machiavelli uses this term as the opposite of “fortune”
republic
a state not ruled by a monarch or prince but headed by elected officials accountable to a larger citizenry
republicanism
Machiavelli’s views on how a polity can best be sustained has close ties with traditional republican arguments (Skinner)
i.e. the citizen-body should possess the quality of virtù in the highest degree
republican / neo-Roman liberty
republican liberty is the absence of any structural dependence on arbitrary power or domination
virtù
four distinct ways that virtù fits into Machiavelli’s political thought:
- virtù as princely qualities
- virtù as good citizen qualities
- virtù as the countervailing for to Fortuna
- virtù as the rejection of traditional moral values
what are some key influences on Machiavelli?
the Florentine context
the Romans
- Livy
- Cicero
Christianity
the Renaissance Humanism movement
when were the Medici expelled from Florence?
1494
between which years was Florence a republic led by Piero Soderini and in which Machiavelli served?
1498 - 1512
when did the Medici family return and Machiavelli exiled?
1512
who was Titus Livius (Livy) and how did he influence Machiavelli?
Livy was a Roman historian
Livy’s work, specifically his monumental history of Rome “Ab Urbe Condita”, played a substantial role in shaping Machiavelli’s political and historical thinking
Livy’s writings on the Roman Republic had profound impact on Machiavelli’s republican ideals
- Machiavelli believed that the Roman Republic represented a model of civic virtue, political stability, and balance of power that contemporary Italian city-states should aspire to emulate
who was Cicero and how did he influence Machiavelli?
Cicero was an ancient Roman statesman, orator, and philosopher
he was renowned for his skills in rhetoric and oratory. Both Cicero and Machiavelli recognised the importance of effective speech and persuasion in politics
however, while Cicero emphasised the use of eloquence and moral principles in oratory, Machiavelli was more concerned with the practicality of achieving political goals through persuasive communication
Machiavelli was critical of him but takes a lot from him
- i.e. lion & fox analogy ; half-beast-half-man analogy
- things are only beneficial if they are useful
- things are only useful if they are honourable
what were Machiavelli’s views on the institutionalised Christian Church as he knew it?
Machiavelli was no friend of the institutionalised Christian Church as he knew it
- Discourses makes clear that conventional Christianity saps from human beings the vigour required for active civil life
- The Prince speaks with equal parts disdain & admiration about the contemporary condition of the Church and its Pope
- he admitted religion was critical in fostering & maintaining stability
didn’t think the fault lies with Christianity itself but instead with bad interpreters & educators
- “men of cowardice have taught Christianity as a religion of ‘idleness,’ instead of a call to virtue” (Discourses. II.2)
- he believed the teaching of Christianity has lead the world to become “weak” and “effeminate” (Discourses.II.2)
how did Christianity impact Italy during Machiavelli’s time?
he believed that the decadence of the Church of Rome had such a harmful influence on balance that it prevented the unification of Italy
the Catholic Church & the Christian religion as practised in his time were for Machiavelli major sources, perhaps the major sources, of political corruption and weakness in Italy (Hankins, 2019)
how does Machiavelli believe religion, especially Christianity, threaten liberty?
Machiavelli has broader sense of the power of religion - especially Christianity - to threaten our liberty (Skinner, 2002)
- hope of going to heaven & fear of God’s wrath means true Christians don’t care for worldly glory or welfare of community in the present life
- corrupting influence on civic life
- to preserve our liberty, we need above all to possess virtù; but to possess virtù is to be willing to place the salvation of our community above all personal considerations, whereas Christianity instructs us to treat our personal salvation as more important than anything else
Given the threat that Christianity poses, what did Machiavelli suggest to ensure more stability?
Machiavelli suggests a sort of civic religion - more suitable for a city endowed with virtú
he also advocated for separation of politics from religious considerations
- believed religion should have a role in providing stability & moral order in society but that it should not dictate political decisions
- this was a departure from the mediaeval notion of the divine right of kings, and the close intertwining of religion and politics
what is Renaissance Humanism?
a worldview centred on the nature & importance of humanity over religion
remarkable for extending their studies well beyond the narrow confines of the theology that had dominated Medieval scholarship
what is the gap between the humanists and Machiavelli?
the gap between the humanists & Machiavelli is a gap between ancients and moderns: a gap between two visions of a good state, and between two ways of using the past (Hankins, 2019)
- the humanists admired the Romans because at their best they were noble and godlike
- Machiavelli admired them because they were powerful & dominated other peoples for a thousand years
what are the four distinct ways that virtù fits into Machiavelli’s political thought?
virtù as princely qualities
virtù as good citizen qualities
virtù as the countervailing force to Fortuna
virtù as the rejection of traditional moral values
are Machiavelli’s ‘virtù’ and modern day ‘virtue’ interchangeable?
no
there is no equivalence between the conventional virtues and Machiavellian virtù
his virtù differs from that of the English translation ‘virtue’ which usually conveys the conventional connotation of moral goodness
instead, he employs virtù to refer to a combination of skills, qualities, and attributes that are “indispensable in the first place if you wish to maintain your Princely state” as well as being “crucial to the yet higher end of achieving princely glory” (Skinner, 2002)
what is virtù as princely qualities?
primarily concerned with the qualities necessary for a Prince to maintain power and attain princely glory, both of which are elements that he uses as markers of power
“indispensable in the first place if you wish to maintain your Princely state” as well as being “crucial to the yet higher end of achieving princely glory” (Skinner, 2002)
qualities include but are not limited to: greatness, courage, wisdom and strength
importance of a flexible disposition that can adapt as fortune and circumstances dictate
- uses half-man-half-beast analogy in combination with the lion and the fox analogy to exemplify his ideal princely virtù
does Machiavelli think a fixed disposition is useful for a prince?
no, he places importance on a flexible disposition that can adapt as fortune & circumstances dictate
Machiavelli recommends a tool kit full of modi, some traditionally associated with good government and others with tyranny
why does Machiavelli promote a flexible disposition & a toolkit full of modi?
different circumstances require different modis (Hankins, 2019)
- Camillus’ story is a “true example of how much more a humane act full of charity is sometimes able to do in the spirits of men than a ferocious and violent act.” The key word is “sometimes,” signalling that for Machiavelli, humanity is just another tactic. Like the liberality of Fabricius and the chastity of Scipio, it was successful only because of the circumstances
- in the next chapter, Machiavelli goes on to explain why Hannibal, “using modes contrary to these,” that is, “cruelty, robbery, violence, and every type of faithlessness,” had as much success in Italy attracting the loyalty of allies as Scipio with all his virtues had in Spain
what is the half-man-half-beast analogy? what is its significance?
because of the faults & weaknesses of human nature, “manliness will never be enough. The ancients understood statecraft much better when they figured the prince as a centaur, half man and half beast” (Skinner, 2002)
necessary for a Prince to know how to use both natures as one without the other has no stability (Prince. XVIII)
offers successes of Achilles & other old princes who were brought up & trained by Chiron the Centaur as examples to support this point
cite this quote: “manliness will never be enough. The ancients understood statecraft much better when they figured the prince as a centaur, half man and half beast”.
Skinner, 2002
cite this argument: necessary for a Prince to know how to use both natures as one without the other has no stability.
the Prince. Chapter 18
what is the fox and lion analogy? what is its significance?
the beastly side of the prince should “choose both the fox and the lion…a fox to discern the toils, and a lion to keep off the wolves” (Prince.XVIII)
e.g. Severus
- had all the “fierceness of the lion and all the craft of the fox” and thus was both feared & respected by the people & yet not hated by the army & so was able to maintain power over a great empire (Prince.XIX)
