The Prince Chapters 21-25
Chapter 25: Fortune, Virtú, Adaptability in Ruling (this is a well-known chapter; it should be read with care). I. Fortune, Free Will, and Virtú - What view about fortune (and God) is M. objecting to in the chapter? - Does freewill have a role to play (hint, yes)? What is the role of free will? - M likens a torrential river to fortune. How should people who live near the river react to their circumstances of having a potential threat so close? 1. Should they simply ignore the threat? What will be the consequences of that lack of preparation? 2. Should they anticipate the threat and prepare for it, what will be the more positive consequences of that preparation? 3. What political situation is Machiavelli alluding to in regard to the metaphor of the raging river and the lack of Italy's preparations? 4. What raging river has flooded the Italian soil? How should the inhabitants of Italy respond to their present and future situation? II. Why is it that some rulers are successful for a period of time, and then fail? - M gives two reasons that explain their failure. What are they? - What does M have to say about a ruler's need to adjust his policies to changing circumstances? Under what conditions do his policies need to be adjusted? What happens when they are not adjusted?How likely does M believe most leaders are to changing their policies to adjust to changing circumstances? - Why was Pope Julius so successful? If he had ruled longer and the circumstances changed and required more patience and caution, does M believe that Pope Julius would have continued to be successful? Why or why not? - What do you think of M position that "...since fortune changes, and men stubbornly continue to behave in the same way, men flourish when their behavior suits the times and fail when they are out of step" (p. 76)? - In the final lines of the chapter, M suggests that if one is a ruler and is going to have one of two temperaments in ruling and is not adaptable to changing to the other temperament, one of the two is the better temperament to have. 5. What are the two temperaments? 6. Why is one temperament superior to the other?
- He is objecting that fortune controls all of our actions - Freewill controls one half of our actions and fortune the other half - Fortune is like a flooding river: it is only dangerous when men have not built dykes against it beforehand. - Italy has not built dykes, and as a result it has experienced tumultuous upheaval. Germany, Spain, and France have taken better care and have reaped the benefits of stability. - A ruler who depends entirely on fortune will be destroyed when their luck changes and if their policies do not correspond to the needs of the times - Times and circumstances change, so a prince must adjust to them in order to remain successful; however, men tend to stay on the course that has brought them success in the past. - Circumstances allowed Julius II to act impetuously, but if he had lived longer, he would have been ruined when circumstances changed. On the whole, however, impetuosity surpasses caution. - Fortune favors energetic youth over cautious age.
Chapters 22-23: The Prince and his Advisors. - What does the quality of a prince's advisors say about the quality of the prince who hired them? - What is M's view on the qualities that a good advisor should have? - Why is M worried about advisors and flattery? - How should a prince use his advisors to his best advantage? - How should a prince act with regard to making decisions? Notice the errors that the Cleric Luca made in making decisions. - A famous Machiavellian maxim appears at the end of the Chapter 23, "Men are always wicked, unless you give them no alternative but to be good." How does this relate to M views on how a ruler should use and control his advisors? - What does this maxim reflect about Machiavelli's views of the nature of human beings?
- It is a direct reflection of the kind of ruler they are (bad ruler=bad advisors vice versa) - They should always be focused on things of the ruler's interests, never of their own - Men are so easily flattered and taken in by praise that it is difficult for themselves to defend themselves against it and it can make them despicable. - A ruler should allow his advisors to speak the truth to avoid flattery - The ruler ought to ask them about everything and get their opinion and weigh everything on his own as well - A ruler should take advice only when he wants to and should discourage being given advice when not asked - A ruler who is not wise cannot receive good advice - The ruler must be wise otherwise the advisors will look out for their own personal interests and he won't be able to catch it. So, of they are wise then they will recognize they can't trick the ruler so they have no choice but to be good and have good advice - Human beings are always acting for themselves and are greedy unless circumstances make them forced to be good
Chapter 26: Machiavelli's Hopes for Italy - M is calling for a new leader of Italy, a person with the talent to unite her and bring her back to her glory. - Why does M believe that conditions are most favorable in the present state of Italy (his 16th Century Italy) for an Italian to take back Italy? How does this parallel Moses' situation? - He is calling on a Medici to unite Italy. Notice the allusions and parallels made between Moses and this new Medici leader of Italy. - What approach must this new leader take to ensure the success of Italy, that is, to free it from the enslavement of foreigners, and to unify Italy under the leadership of an Italian?
- Italy's current disarray favors the emergence of a new prince who will bring happiness to the Italian people. Until recently, there had been a prince who seemed ordained by heaven to redeem Italy. But a string of bad luck has prevented such an outcome. - Lorenzo de' Medici is Italy's best hope. If he has learned from the great men named in The Prince, the salvation of Italy will not be difficult. For though those men were great, they were still only men, with no greater opportunities or grace than Lorenzo's own. Past wars and princes have failed to strengthen Italy because its military system was old and defective.
Chapter 24: M gives some general advice for success and then gives criticisms of some recent Italian rulers who lost power. - M reviews some of the general advice he has given for a prince's success. - M. singles out the King of Naples (Frederick of Aragon) and the Duke of Milan (Ludovico Sforza). What were their failures? - M. rejects the notion that it was fortune that caused their demise, but instead it was their lack of action (indolence) and good decisions. What three pieces of advice does M. mention on p. 74 to avoid failure and to better ensure success?
- Machiavelli suggests that any new prince who successfully follows the advice found in The Prince will enjoy the stability of a hereditary prince, since men are more aware of the present than of the past. - A number of Italian princes have lost states through their own military faults. They fled when they should have fought, expecting their subjects to call them back. These princes failed because of their own incompetence and not as a result of a string of bad luck. They took too much comfort in prosperous times, never anticipating danger. When they were conquered, they hoped that the people would revolt and recall them; but it is always folly to depend upon others for security. A prince's best defense is his own valor.
Chapter 21: Cultivating the Right Reputation; Avoiding Neutrality and Taking Sides When Neighbors Engage in Warfare with Each Other - What is the kind of reputation a prince should cultivate? - Why is important for a prince to cultivate that sort of reputation - Why does M hold The King of Spain, Ferdinand of Aragon, in such high regard? That is, what shrewd moves did he make to bolster his reputation as a great ruler? - Why does M believe it is unwise to be neutral towards one's neighboring states, when both states are powerful and they are embarking on war? That is, what does M. see as the disadvantages of not taking sides when there is a war breaking out between one's powerful neighbors? - Why does M believe it is a good move to take sides if your neighboring states are decidedly weaker than you are and they are about to engage in war against each other? - What does M see as the serious risks in become allies in war with a state or force that is decidedly stronger than you? Then why does M. say that a prince (and his principality) may still need to side with this powerful side? - Notice his view on the top of p. 70 about political decisions and risk. - What kind of political and economic atmosphere should a prince promote in his state so that his citizens can flourish and make improvements in their professions? - What kinds of activities of citizens should be honored by the prince? How does bestowing such honors benefit the prince? - What two qualities should a prince exhibit when he mixes among the people? Why?
- Nothing does more to give a prince a reputation than embarking on great undertakings and doing remarkable things - They should cultivate a reputation of being known as a great man, a person who excels - King Ferdinand of Spain, who skillfully used his military to attack Granada, Africa, Italy, and France. These campaigns focused his people's attention and prevented attacks against Ferdinand. - If you take a side, they are in debt to you and will not overpower you. If you win, you get rid of another neighboring territory and that territory you helped is in debt to you. - Since there is no way they will be able to take you over, you can actually take them over - They can take over you, yet you sometimes need to do it out of necessity - He should be an admirer and honor anyone who is excellent in any type of work. He should make it possible for them to pursue their dreams and goals. - Generous and understanding to keep their faith in him