THE PRINCE
by Nicolo
Machiavelli
comments by Maarten Maartensz
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CHAPTER XXI
How A Prince
Should Conduct Himself As To Gain Renown
Note 1: We select:
"Further, always
using religion as a plea, so as to undertake
greater schemes, he devoted himself with a
pious cruelty to driving out and clearing his
kingdom of the Moors (...) Under this same
cloak he assailed Africa, he came down on
Italy, he has finally attacked France; and
thus his achievements and designs have always
been great, and have kept the minds of his
people in suspense and admiration"
This is cynical but
just, and may be compared with the acts and
reputations of Stalin and Mao.
Back.
Note 2:
Again, it much assists a prince to
set unusual examples in internal affairs, similar to those which are
related of Messer Bernabo da Milano, who, when he had the
opportunity, by any one in civil life doing some
extraordinary thing, either good or bad, would take some
method of rewarding or punishing him, which would be much
spoken about. And a prince ought, above all things, always
to endeavour in every action to gain for himself the
reputation of being a great and remarkable man.
One of the weaknesses of
parliamentary democracies is that "great and
remarkable" men will neither desire to be
elected nor be elected if they were to desire
it: What "the people" in democracies like are
men and women that are remarkable for being
unremarkable.
As I said before,
this is mostly good if the times are not
difficult, and the elected political leaders do
not have to show any real
leadership qualities,
and this will turn out to be pretty disastrous
if the times turn difficult, for then it will
emerge that those in
power are mostly
incompetent.
One of the main
reasons for the successes of men like Milosevic
and Saddam Hussein, in the recent past, is the
enormous incompetence of the so-called
Democratic Leaders that oppose
them. Back.
Note 3:
(...)
if two of your powerful neighbours come to blows, they are
of such a character that, if one of them conquers, you have
either to fear him or not. In either case it will always be
more advantageous for you to declare yourself and to make
war strenuously; because, in the first case, if you do not
declare yourself, you will invariably fall a prey to the
conqueror, to the pleasure and satisfaction of him who has
been conquered, and you will have no reasons to offer, nor
anything to protect or to shelter you.
This is a good example
of Machiavellian reasoning, and it is a bit too
simple-minded. In actual practice, one sees that
states and political leaders try to walk a
middle course of committing themselves to few
and trying to offend few, and meanwhile
preparing for war, in case it may occur or be
advantageous. Back.
Note 4: This continues the
previous paragraph, and gives Machiavelli's
principal reason:
"Thus it will
always happen that he who is not your friend
will demand your neutrality, whilst he who is
your friend will entreat you to declare
yourself with arms. And irresolute princes, to
avoid present dangers, generally follow the
neutral path, and are generally ruined."
This again seems to
me too partial to Machiavelli's own desires
about how Italian princes of his time should
act. He may have been right about them, but in
general those states and leaders prosper that
are strong enough to maintain themselves against
their neighbours, and clever enough to seem to be
friends with most and to be allies with
few. Back.
Note 5: More Machiavellian
advice, that supports my previous remark:
"a prince ought
to take care never to make an alliance with
one more powerful than himself for the purpose
of attacking others, unless necessity compels
him, as is said above; because if he conquers
you are at his discretion, and princes ought
to avoid as much as possible being at the
discretion of any one."
It follows from
this, logically speaking, that only such states
as are equally strong should become
allies. Back.
Note 6: Another lesson for life,
that not only applies to "Governments":
"Never let any
Government imagine that it can choose
perfectly safe courses; rather let it expect
to have to take very doubtful ones, because it
is found in ordinary affairs that one never
seeks to avoid one trouble without running
into another; but prudence consists in knowing
how to distinguish the character of troubles,
and for choice to take the lesser evil."
This is true: "one
never seeks to avoid one trouble without running
into another", as it is also true that almost
always those things one sets out to realize from
a strong desire, turn out to be quite other when
realized than one expected before realizing
them. In general, it seems human expectations
are such as to be disappointed: most men are
dreamers. Back.
Note 7:
A prince
ought also to show himself a patron of ability, and to
honour the proficient in every art. At the same time he
should encourage his citizens to practise their callings
peaceably, both in commerce and agriculture, and in every
other following, so that the one should not be deterred from
improving his possessions for fear lest they be taken away
from him or another from opening up trade for fear of taxes;
but the prince ought to offer rewards to whoever wishes to
do these things and designs in any way to honour his city or
state.
This is excellent
advice, that was far more practiced in
Machiavelli's time than in our times - as can be
inferred from the art and architecture produced
in his time, which is an example for all ever
since, and the art and architecture produced in
our time, which is mostly very ugly and useless,
and - happily - so ill-constructed that it
starts falling apart the moment it is
surrected. Back.
Note 8:
Further, he
ought to entertain the people with festivals and spectacles
at convenient seasons of the year; and as every city is
divided into guilds or into societies, he ought to hold such
bodies in esteem, and associate with them sometimes, and
show himself an example of courtesy and liberality;
nevertheless, always maintaining the majesty of his rank,
for this he must never consent to abate in anything.
More good advice to
leaders and princes, although it should be
remarked that in modern times people have daily
"festivals and spectacles" on their televisions.
As to "the majesty
of his rank": First, in democracies, the
electorate generally does not like
extra-ordinary men, except in extra-ordinary
times, and second, it seems to me that in almost
any case human beings have a very strong
tendency to revere their
leaders only because
they are leaders, rather like dogs revere their
bosses, because they truly feel their boss is
better, stronger and wiser than they are.
Thus, most often
the leaders are weak and incompetent yet
admired, since they are the leaders and their
followers are men. Back.
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