Machiavelli, Spring 2005

Andy Wilson March 22, 2005

Why is it that Machiavelli’s 16th century writings about how to run a country are still well read and discussed today? This is because he spoke about the essential rules that dictate how a country should be governed. Be it a corporation, a Third-World country or a global super power, his ideas apply. I found three of his views to be very relevant both historically and in modern times. These ideas are as follows: moral views cannot always exist in political actions, extreme measures are sometimes needed in order to sustain the health of the society, and people desire the satisfaction and honor that comes with belonging to a well organized group. In order to better understand and support each idea I will give historical examples of each. Machiavelli believed that morals cannot always exist or be effective in politics. In other words, he believed that politics had morals unto itself which trumped any other moral attitude. This view came from his belief that the morals which Christian society supported instilled weakness and a lack of civic responsibility in a people. The only positive aspect of any religion was the fact that it acted as social cement holding the people together. He felt that a person should choose between a private life dedicated to moral living or a public life dedicated to the care of society. A historical example of someone’s morals being trumped by the necessity of politics would be that of Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell was a devout Puritan who seized power after the dethroning of Charles I. Then doing not what was moral but what he saw as politically necessary,

Cromwell ruthlessly dealt with the Irish and Scots whom he saw as a threat, killing thousands of Scots and displacing the Irish through new English overlords. Along with the idea that moral views are altogether separate from political views is that extreme measures are sometimes needed in order to secure the well-being of a society. What these two have in common is that sometimes the extreme measures are carried through by the governing body even though they may be considered unmoral. Machiavelli’s justification for this is an early form of nationalism where the states’ well being is above not only the moral beliefs of the people but also the lives of the people themselves. This idea of Machiavelli’s is probably the most horrifying yet also possibly the most used in history. There are many examples of this it’s being used throughout history. In fact it is no surprise that Hitler kept a copy of The Prince on his bed stand because he exemplified this idea perfectly through his annihilation of the Jews, especially German Jews whom he saw as a threat. Another example would be Stalin who forced millions of his people into factories that were in all but name, forced labor camps. All of this, he did in the name of the Mother Land. People desire the “fulfillment and the glory that come from the creation and maintenance by common endeavor of a strong and well-governed social whole.” What this means is that people enjoy belonging to a well-ordered group and helping that group succeed. This idea is probably the oldest and most relevant idea dealing with human affairs that Machiavelli states. All people associate themselves with a certain group be it their nation, family or religion and all of these different groups have needs. What all the people in these groups have in common is a desire to protect the group and take care of its needs. There is a basic need among people to seek the protection and advancement of

whatever group a person associates themselves to. This is what Machiavelli says above except he wants people to focus on the society they live in and nothing else. This view is closely related to modern nationalism because it promotes the well-being of the state and proposes that the people of the state are an end to that means. Look at any of the industrialized nations in the late 19th century and you will see the “fulfillment and glory” or nationalism that the people of these nations feel. I believe that Machiavelli made a very accurate evaluation of how people should be governed and how those doing the governing should act. He stated ideas concerning separation of morals and politics, extreme measures by a government and the pride and fulfillment that people feel toward their group can be backed up with historical evidence. I feel that Machiavelli made very accurate depictions of how politics work and his ideas are as relevant today as they were in the 16th century.