Niccolo Machiavelli is considered the inventor of modern politics. His theory that it is better to be feared than loved, earned him an unscrupulous reputation.
Machiavelli lived at the height of the Italian Renaissance, and his own political views helped shaped the politics of modern day.
Early Life
Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy, in 1469. The son of a lawyer, Machiavelli received a solid humanistic education, studying the cultures of Ancient Greece and Rome. He was a sharp student, and a keen observer. During his twenties he worked in Rome for a Florentine banker, Lorenzo de’ Medici. The Medici family had ruled Florence since the 1430s. When Lorenzo died in 1492, his son was thought unfit to rule, and Florence formed a republic. Machiavelli became a central figure in the fledgling republic. He traveled abroad to France, Germany and Switzerland as a representative of Florence. He also organized an army for the new republic, modeling it after those of the ancient Roman Republic. However, his army was not as well trained as the original, and in 1512 the Medici family once again seized control of Florence.
The Prince
In an attempt to win back the favor of the ruling Medici family, he penned his most famous piece, The Prince, in 1513. No doubt influenced by his travels abroad, Machiavelli set about to describe how leaders could best obtain and hold power. According to Machiavelli, a ruler should conduct himself in the following manner, in order to gain renown from his people he should:
- maintain a regal bearing
- do great deeds
- encourage excellence
- foster peaceful progress
- respect local organizations
The most famous of Machiavelli’s ideas is undoubtedly the chapter entitled “On Cruelty and [compassion], and Whether it is Better to be Loved or Feared.” According to Machiavelli, it was always better to be feared. He also insisted if an end justified the means, then it was okay to do whatever was necessary to achieve those goals. Ruthlessness was a necessity, and honor a option.
The Prince failed to win Machiavelli favor with the Medici’s. He continued to write, producing several comedies, satires and poems. Much of his work relates to his thoughts on government, good and bad. His famous treatise - On The Art of War (1519-1520) - was read throughout western Europe. The play La Mandragola is thought to be a political satire of The Prince.
Machiavelli the Inventor of Political Science
Unlike many before him, Machiavelli provided examples to back up his arguments about government and leadership. He influenced other political scientists, including Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626), who praised Machiavelli for being such an honest creature, and Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), author of Leviathan (1651), who agreed with Machiavelli that all people were weak, and needed a strong ruler, else society run to complete decay.
Machiavelli’s work is still debated today by philosophers, students and theorists everywhere. His name has even taken on special meaning; “Machiavellian” is a term used to describe rulers who use deceit to impose their will.
Sources
Machiavelli. Retrieved from http://www.emachiavelli.com/index.html on March 5, 2007
Hutchinson, Robert Maynard. The Great Books of the Western World. New York: Encycolpedia Britannica, Inc., 1952
Sider, Sandra. Handbook to Life in Renaissance Europe. New York: Facts On File, Inc, 2005.
