Machiavelli Flashcards
Two kinds of principalities, what are they and what are their relative difficulties of being governed and maintained?
Intro - two principalities are hereditary and new.
- Hereditary - monarch passed through blood.
- New - when a new one is formed, usually out of a republic
- He prefers hereditary because customs have already been legitimized. They do lack innovation though and could result in poor leadership.
- With new, excessive violence would have to be used to suppress old tradition. And for republics, people are used to freedom. Unrealistic expectations.
Conclude - promotes his cycle of inevitable state corruption
Three types of new principalities. Relative difficulties in governing and maintaining. Proper strategies.
Intro - 3 new principalities.
- Mixed with similar values. The best because institutions/customs established. Just have to kill family and not raise taxes.
- Mixed with differing values. New institutions and violence = instability.
- Colonized republics. Destroy them, live amongst them, or maintain republic but take their stuff (illusion).
- Conclude - monarchy - best strategies for governing timid and weak subjects, and republic - insatiable republicans.
How does he depart radically from the procedures of others in presenting how the Prince should deal with friends and subjects.
Intro - he departs from ancient philosophers like plato and aristotle.
- Not the good life but the mere life
- Thinks old philosophers weren’t realistic
- Believes there’s no room for morality in politics., it will fail.
- People are not trying to achieve best life, but are stuck in cynical in human nature.
Conclude - Many believe this to be based on personal troubles. Leads into three everyday virtues.
Three examples of everyday virtues that are bad as prince.
Intro - in governing, no morality.
- Generosity/miserly. Will burden people with taxes.
- Loved/feared. Fear is needed to control people. Shouldn’t hate you though.
- Merciful/cruel. Prince should be merciful usually. When cruel, quick and in small doses.
- All must be exploited
Conclude - all are necessary for stability of state.
Present his cycle through which all states inevitably pass.
Intro - cycle
- Begin as principalities. Begin with merit, becomes hereditary.
- Prince gets paranoid about leadership, becomes tyrant.
- Aristocrats get made, then oligarchy.
- Masses overthrow, then democracy.
- Anarchy (which is the worst) ensues, prince is chosen, etc.
Conclude - they are all terrible. Must be mixed. Only way to break cycle alongside strong constitutions. Agency is important here.
How we break the cycle?
Intro - cycle
- Can’t bank on good leadership, can’t exclude classes. Mixed regime is necessary (Aristotle).
- Mixed regimes are more stable, present checks and balances, has active subjects is the best check.
Conclude - Needs of the many more stable than the few. Good leaders know this.
Present the role of civic virtue or goodness in his conception of political stability.
Intro - instability, agency and institutions.
- In a rule by the many, average agent must be good. When a state is failing, they need this.
- Gives example of Germanic mountaineers, isolated who pay their taxes without coercion.
- When citizens are like gyges, excessive force is bad, but necessary.
- Ultimately, people have to fear the prince, and need strong institutions.
Conclude - will inevitably fall probably, especially with bad leaders.
How do we produce and maintain stability?
Intro - civic virtue is means to stability, how to maintain?
- Good democratic institutions need good democratic culture, vice versa.
- Economic isolation (no external corruption)
- Religion (control and fear)
Conclude - Poultry Diviners - use religion so they obey. More fear = less violence.
Explain the poultry diviners.
Intro - Roman army before battle, if they eat fought under good faith, if not, bad omen.
- Highlights the need of fear and religion to control behaviour.
- People need to be more fearful of God than punishment
- One general was mad through them into the sea, which delegitimized the fear, threatened stability. Men were mostly destroyed.
Conclude - Good leader needs to know that establishing and reinforcing these are important cause fear.
What is required in the case of civic corruption?
Intro - people will become corrupt.
- Proper institutions are required.
- Leader needs to have war measure-like powers in such a case. Must not permanently alter governance though.
- Government needs to be able to hit pause button.
Conclude - encompasses all he has said about stability. Emphasizes the need of civic virtue. He recognizes that this is impossible to last forever cause bad leaders.
