46).
These ideas are actually in direct contradiction to the prevailing religious philosophies of the time. Machiavelli does not seed men judged by God, or even by other men -- but instead by whether the deed one sought was accomplished or not; and if that deed has eventual ramifications that may be good. This Prince may come to power through evil means from himself, from others, or through historical forces. However, Princes who come to power based on criminal acts will not last in their position, nor will they be perceived as innately a leader. Cruelty, which by its very nature is evil, may be applied once at the outset and then only when the greater good of the subjects demands it.
In seizing a state, the Prince ought to examine closely into all those injuries which it is necessary for him to inflict (evil), and to do them all at one stroke so as not to have to repeat them daily; and thus by not unsettling men he will be able to reassure them, and win them to himself by benefits (Machiavelli, p. 46).
Thus, the essence of good, in the broad and overall state, is consistency and security. If the citizenry is protected from war and pestilence, and allowed to live a life in which they can work and actualize, then the Prince has done his duty. The prime good for the leader is to provide this stability -- through whatever means possible. If this leader does that --...
" Parallels with business takeovers are frighteningly stark. Change. In the Prince he says "It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things" (Machiavelli). Relevancy...and Not The impact of Machiavelli's writing on politics has been accepted for some time, but the relevance of his ideas to business had to wait until
This belief came in response to the realities of the time that saw corruption and lust for riches as the main interests in the political life. Both Gandhi and Machiavelli saw self restrain as an important quality, even though the reasons deferred. In today's political life, there is more and more evidence of the applicability of the concepts advocated by Machiavelli centuries ago. The constant use of the notion Machiavellian
In exchange, the words which drive Machiavelli's work are very much a reflection of the groundswell of discontent with the ideological hegemony of the church and the feudal system. Thus, though we regard Machiavelli's contempt for terms of 'good' and 'not good' as inherently permissive to severe violation of the rights and experiences of others, we must also understand it as something of a reaction to such forces as
Leaders today must regularly make decisions that may, at times, greatly impact the lives of thousands of people. In order to be successful, they have to be able to analyze as many of the choices, plans and strategies possible and determine which of these will be best for the most individuals. Sometimes such decisions have to be made very quickly. Executive power, Mansfield notes, is one of the most essential principles
It basically approves of just about any behavior as long as the company survives, and that is music to many people's ears. Machiavelli's advice has little to do with "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." He writes as a man of science and logic, rather than a man of ethics and morality. Machiavelli felt a prince or leader stood above others, and so, was above
Hitler was an aggressive, dominant leader who was revered by many Germans. He overtook Poland and other nations such as Norway with virtually no defense at all because they were unprepared and their leaders did not anticipate or approve of aggression and defense. They were wrong, and it cost them dearly. If these nations had put up a real fight, the war might have had a different outcome. The
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