Machiavelli’s political life in Florence, Italy.
Machiavelli’s main
political experience in his youth was watching Savanarola. Soon after
Savanarola was executed, Machiavelli entered the Florentine government as a
secretary and was soon engaging in diplomatic missions. He met many of the
important politicians of the day but none had more impact on him than a prince
of the Papal States, Cesare Borgia. Machiavelli did not like Borgia's
policies, but he thought that with a ruler like Borgia the Florentines could
unite Italy. Unfortunately for Machiavelli, he was dismissed from office when
the Medici came to rule Florence and the Republic was overthrown. The lack of a
job forced him to switch to writing about politics instead of being active.
When Machiavelli lost his office, he desperately wanted to return to politics.
He tried to gain the favor of the Medici by writing a book of what he thought
were the Medici's goals and dedicating it to them which was the purpose on
writing The Prince. Unfortunately, the Medici didn't agree with what the book
said, so he was out of a job. But when the public saw the book, they were
outraged. A few years later the Medici were kicked out of Florence and the
republic was re-established, and Machiavelli ran to retake the office he had
left but the reputation that The Prince had established made people
think his philosophy was like the Medici, so he was not elected.
Desire to have a political position in Medici’s empire and his
torture.
When Soderini surrendered
the city to Medici’s rule, it was the end of everything Machiavelli had worked
for. Abandoning his idealism, he worked hard to get a job inside Giovanni
de’Medici;s regime but his ambitions was short lived. The Medici threw him in
jail, tortured him and sent him into exile. he drank in the company of
peasants, fought in local villages and railed at his fate. At night, he dressed
in old robes of offices, sat at his desk, and wrote. he drew on his experiences
in government and composed a manifesto fro pragmatic leadership. Machiavelli
wrote a book and called it “The Prince”, and dedicated it to the Medici family.
He hoped it might win back his political career but his plan backfired.
Machiavelli remained exile for the rest of his life until he died in 1527.
Machiavelli’s involvement with the republicans.
According to Machiavelli,
Republics are better state dictatorships because they privilege the common
good, the judgments of the collective are superior to those of the
prince/dictator. Republicanism is better at selecting princes from among the
people. Thus, a virtuous prince should favor a republic with transparent
institutions and promotes the common good as this will facilitate the
maintenance of a stable state. Additionally, the best way to perpetuate the
state and glory of a leader after his passing is to make sure that there are
multiple caretakers rather than a single person. In this process the
“perpetual” republic is achieved, a republic that constantly renews itself.
Briefly compare the relatedness of The Prince and The Discourses
on Livy
The description within the
Prince talks about the aim of princes, such as glory and survival, and it
justifies the use of immoral means to achieve them and it also talks about the
ways on how to be a tyrant and how to maintain your power in the state. On the
other hand, the discourse on Livy also talks about how to have a republic that
preserves liberty and is free of corruption and the establishment of a regime
in a state.
Did Machiavelli consider morality in his works and political
thought?
Machiavelli stated that
morality and immorality should only be held to specific standards. In his work
in the Prince, he wrote that a prince must be just as wise and just as fierce
as need to be remained feared but not hated and just as good to be respected
but not thought weak. The rulers of a state should know how to manipulate men
and control them in seizing power to govern them, to deal with other rulers and
to carry out all their duties of government.
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