"The Prince and the Discourses"

Paper Summary:

Through an examination of "The Prince and the Discourses", this paper attempts to analyze Machiavelli's vision of a good ruler and the ideal state. It also looks at how Machiavelli was influenced by the political environment of Europe at the time, as well as how successful he was.

From the Paper:

"For Machiavelli what characterizes the "good" ruler? Well, for starters, a "good" ruler, according to Machiavelli, must indeed be a man of action. He can't wait for a situation to pop up and then try to deal with it, but rather, he must have a plan to deal with a situation before it happens. "For the Romans did in these cases what all wise princes should do, who consider not only present but also future discords and diligently guard against them; for being foreseen they can easily be remedied, but if one waits till they are at hand, the medicine is no longer in time as the malady has become incurable" (10-11). In this sense, Machiavelli makes it very clear that if a prince wants to remain firmly in power, he must rid himself of possible threats to his power, even if it means being entirely cruel. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince and The Discourses (Modern Library College Editions). New York: Random House, 1950.

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• Analytical Essay # 5150 : "Machiavellian's The Prince and Discourses on the First Decade of Livy"
• Essay # 31832 : "Machiavelli and the Ethics of Political Convenience"

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