The prince of Nicholas Machiavelli: summary and analysis
Prince, published posthumously in 1531, is a treatise on political doctrine written by Nicolás Machiavelli, Italian writer, diplomat and political philosopher of the Renaissance period.
The work is directed to Lorenzo de 'Medici, known as' the Magnificent', to whom Machiavelli explains how to act and what to do to unify Italy and get it out of the crisis in which it finds itself.
Although it was written in 1513, during the confinement of Machiavelli in San Casciano, because of the accusations that they weighed on him for being accused of conspiring against the Medici, it would not be until 1531 when he would see light in Rome. The book thus functions as a response to this accusation.
Analysis of Prince
Prince, by Nicolás Machiavelli, constitutes an important contribution to the modern conception of politics. In this sense, it is a work that contradicts the philosophical tradition of ancient political thought in the which political practice is overshadowed by the idealization of governments and cities utopian.
On the contrary, in Prince, Machiavelli establishes that the real exercise of politics implies real situations with real men and peoples, whose behaviors, decisions and actions generally do not necessarily respond to morality but to the laws of the can.
Thus, the importance of this treatise is that it exposes the practical truths of the power and shows the way in which the exercise of power frequently contradicts or obviates the precepts morals. Hence, instead of making judgments about morality or religion, he focuses more on questions of political strategy.
In this way, Machiavelli exposes in detail the way in which the ruler must deal with different situations or circumstances that arise, and establishes that the main purpose of political practice is to successfully retain power.
To demonstrate his theories, Machiavelli makes use of real historical situations, ranging from the ancient world to the present.
It should be noted that Prince is the work that gives rise to the term Machiavellian, used with a certain derogatory charge to condemn immoral or malicious practices, when in reality this is a work of great value for its knowledge of the human psyche, common sense and pragmatic thinking.
Today, it is a widely read and consulted book on business and political strategy issues.
Summary of Prince
Prince is the work in which Nicolás Machiavelli expresses his vision of politics, based on his particular experience and his deep knowledge of history and the human psyche. Below we make a thematic summary of the contents of the book.
Kinds of Principalities, Ways to Acquire and Rule Them (Chapters 1-11)
Republics and principalities
The first chapters of the book are dedicated to explaining the different kinds of principalities that exist and the ways in which they can be acquired. He comments that States can be republics or principalities, and that they can be hereditary, when transmitted through the lineage, or new, when they are obtained by inheritance or conquest, through their own weapons or those of others, by fortune or by virtue.
Hereditary, new or mixed principalities
He exposes that the hereditary principalities, as well as the new ones, require policies of continuity instead of radical changes that can upset the life and customs of the population.
On the other hand, those he calls mixed (which are new, but annexed to an old principality), involve different treatments, in accordance with the political circumstances that intervened in their acquisition.
He warns about the difficulties of assuming the government of a new principality, and especially warns about the importance of imposing on the previous power group, quelling rebellions and managing domestic politics with caution and efficiency.
Absolute or shared power
Machiavelli considers that there are two essential ways of governing a principality according to political circumstances: holding absolute power or administering it jointly with a group of barons of their own nobility (not acquired by grace of the the prince).
He advises opting, if possible, for the first option: to hold absolute power, because with the second, the prince will have less authority and must frequently quell rebellions internal.
On the States that were governed by their own laws
Machiavelli also analyzes the way in which to proceed in a State that, before its conquest, was governed by its own laws, and lists the three options that the ruler: 1) destroy it, 2) settle in it, or 3) maintain the previous laws and customs, but forcing it to pay tribute and be governed by a group loyal to the the prince.
He warns that, however, these types of states or cities have great pride in their freedom, which is why they will always be ready to rise up to win it back. Thus, the only safe option for the prince to maintain power is to lay waste to it and disperse the population.
On the acquisition of principalities with their own weapons or those of others
According to Machiavelli there are two ways of acquiring principalities: with one's own weapons and with virtue, or with the weapons and fortune of others.
In the first case, he points out that while these principalities are more difficult to acquire, they are, in the long run, easier to maintain, provided sufficient forces are available.
In the second, he explains that the principalities acquired with the weapons and fortune of others although they are very easy to obtain, they are, on the contrary, difficult to maintain, since it depends on a set of factors that condition.
The good and bad use of cruelty
Machiavelli also warns about the use of cruelty and how it should be applied. He maintains that it is well used if all the crimes are committed at the beginning, which allows that later, little by little, you can begin to grant benefits to subjects, to make them forget the offenses received previously.
Cruelty is misused when they are not all committed at the beginning, which forces them to continue being committed in the future, which attracts the enmity of the people and leads the prince to failure.
Civil and ecclesiastical principalities
Other types of principalities are also referred to, such as civil and ecclesiastical. The first, the civil, is obtained with the favor of the citizens (of the powerful or of the people); he requires above all political cunning, chiefly to keep the people on the side of the prince.
The second, the ecclesiastical, for its part, is quite difficult to acquire at first, but later it is very easy to maintain, since it relies on the laws of religion.
Militia classes and how to deal with them (chapters 12-14)
On how to measure the forces of principalities
Machiavelli explains how forces are to be measured in different principalities. In this sense, the main thing, he comments, is whether the prince is capable of fending for himself or not.
Having men, money, and a suitable army would qualify him as capable. On the other hand, if he does not possess any of these elements, then he must take refuge behind its walls and resist enemy attacks.
About the army
In relation to the army and the soldiers that the prince must have at his disposal, Machiavelli affirms that these can be of three types: his own, auxiliary and mixed. He warns about mercenary soldiers, who fight for money and not loyalty.
He advises against auxiliary soldiers, who belong to another prince, to whom they owe their fidelity. And he indicates that the ideal thing will be to have an army of his own, which only owes loyalty to the prince.
He also refers to the importance of the prince taking care of the war, which is a fundamental task in the State, not even in peacetime must be abandoned, for, he warns, a prince who is not skilled in the arts of war will be despised by the town.
On the way of acting and behaving of the prince (chapters 15-21)
On what causes a prince to be praised or censured
In the following chapters, Machiavelli addresses the way in which the prince has to behave according to the circumstances and the consequences of his actions and decisions.
He refers to the things that make him praised or censured and advises, in this sense, to always be guided by reality instead of pursuing unreal utopias. Since to maintain power the important thing is not to follow morality but to do what is necessary for the conservation of the State.
Generosity and greed
He also makes reference to generosity and greed, and makes considerations about which is more convenient. The first, on the one hand, is usually considered good, but in the long run it is detrimental, because to maintain this reputation, the prince will have to spend all of his assets.
On the other hand, if he opts for greed, then he will also be able to save taxes for the people, which will help him, in decisive moments, to finance companies and win wars, so that he will end up being loved by the majority.
Cruelty and compassion
Central to the prince's administration of justice is the matter of cruelty and compassion. Compassion, which is a cherished virtue, can lead to cruelty over time.
Cruelty, on the other hand, is considered more effective than compassion as long as it is well managed. A lot of cruelty applied at the beginning saves future cruelties, while if you prefer to be compassionate in the beginning, more and more cruelties may have to be committed to preserve the Condition.
About being loved or feared
In this sense, he advises Machiavelli to be loved and feared simultaneously, but he affirms that, given the choice, it is best to be feared than loved, because the people - he explains - can always forget love, but never fear, and thanks to this the possibilities of being dethroned.
About the lion and the fox (allegory)
Machiavelli, in relation to the way of conducting oneself in the affairs of the State, advises possessing strength and caution at the same time. He illustrates it using the allegory of the lion and the fox. The lion does not know how to avoid traps, while the fox does not know how to defend himself from wolves, therefore, the prince must be able to avoid traps, like the fox, but also terrorize wolves, like the Lion.
On virtues and power
On the importance of virtues in the exercise of power, he warns that possessing them is good, but that it is more important to appear. In fact, he asserts that not all virtue is good for power and that, if anything, most people only judge by appearances and the results, hence the phrase "the end justifies the means" is attributed to Machiavelli, although he does not express it with these same words.
See also The end justifies the means.
On being hated and looked down upon
He warns that the only defects to be avoided are being despised and hated, for these are the defects that can lead the people, nobles or soldiers to go against their own prince.
About the strengths
Machiavelli also discusses the usefulness of arming or disarming subjects, and the effectiveness of fortresses, which are only useful when the people themselves are feared more than the invaders.
On how to conduct yourself to be loved by the people
Machiavelli explains that the prince must conduct himself in a certain way to be esteemed and admired by his people, the nobles, and the army. To do this, he advises the attack of large companies, the proper management of internal politics and carry out awards or punishments that serve as an example for his subjects.
The election of secretaries (chapters 22-23)
Machiavelli warns about the criteria that the prince must follow when choosing his secretaries or ministers, who will be the body of closest assistants and advisers and who, therefore, must be the most faithful, those who place the prince and the prince above his personal interest. Condition. Along the same lines, he recommends, later on, fleeing from flatterers, because they do not tell the truth.
On Fortune (Chapter 25)
Machiavelli also dedicates a chapter to explaining the power of fortune. However, he affirms that not everything should be left in her hands, but that one has to be prepared for adversities in such a way that they can be faced.
The causes of the loss of Italy and the importance of recovering it (chapters 24 and 26)
In the final chapters, Machiavelli takes stock of the causes for which the princes of Italy have lost their States, and lists, among them, lack of armies, bad relationship with the people, as well as lack of foresight and decision when Act.
For all the above, he closes the work by exhorting the prince, in this case, Lorenzo de Medici, to whom the work is directed, to lead Italy and free it from the barbarians, that is, from foreigners.
About Nicholas Machiavelli
Nicolás Machiavelli (1469-1527) was a writer, political philosopher, and diplomat. He today he is considered the father of modern political theory. In his time, during the Renaissance, he was a very important figure in Italy. His main work, Prince, written in 1513, during his confinement in San Casciano, only came to light posthumously, in 1531.
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