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1. Niccolo Machielli
(1469-1527)
Patil Mahesh J.

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After reading this chapter, you should be able to
• Explain the Niccolo Machiavelli work, methodology
and his time.
• Understand the philosophical foundations of
Machiavelli Political Theory
• Political ideas of Machiavelli.
Patil Mahesh

3. Life
• Machiavelli was born in Florence in 1469. He was the third child in
a family that was neither rich nor aristocratic, but well connected
with the city’s famed humanistic circles.
• Florence was economically prosperous but suffered a long period of
civil strife and political disorder.
• His father Berando, a civil lawyer, held several important public
appointments. Besides his legal practice, Bernado also received
rents from his land, making his family financially comfortable’
Bernado took considerable interest in the education of his son.
• At the age of 29, Machiavelli entered the public service in the
government of Florence. Patil Mahesh

4. • Later he was sent on a diplomatic mission to several foreign
countries where he acquired firsthand experience of Political and
diplomatic matters.
• Although not employed on the highest level of policy making, he
was close enough to the inner circles of the administration to
acquire firsthand knowledge of the mechanics of politics.
• In 1512, he lost his job when the republican government, based
on French support was replaced by the absolute regime of the
Medici, who has been restored to power with papal help.
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5. • Machiavelli was accused of serious crimes and tortured, but he
was found innocent and banished to his small farm near
Florence.
• It was in such enforced leisure that he wrote the Prince (1513).
The book was dedicated to the Medici family, Lorenzo II de
Medici (1492-1519),
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6. • He is an outstanding example of a “Renaissance man,” because
of his work as a diplomat, political philosopher, musician, and
playwright, but, foremost, a civil servant of the Florentine
Republic.
• Machiavelli believes that politics should be argued from a
strictly political viewpoint, eliminating theological and moral
arguments.
• He greatly opposed to the church, believing that it causes men
to be humble, and thus weakening their ability to lead.
Patil Mahesh

7. • Machiavelli had gained immense fame in developing political
thought. He was an Italian Renaissance historian, politician,
diplomat, philosopher, humanist, and writer.
• He has often been referred as the originator of modern political
science. He held the position of senior official in the Florentine
Republic for many years, with responsibilities in diplomatic
and military affairs.
• Machiavelli was the first to state and systematically uncover
the power view of politics, laying down the foundations of a
new science akin to Galileo's Dynamics became the basis of
the modern science of nature.
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8. • Machiavaelli recognized politics as the struggle for the
acquisition, maintenance and consolidation of political power.
• Machiavelli's literatures do not belong to the realm of political
theory. He wrote mainly of the process of government, of the
means by which the states may be made strong, of the policies
by which they can increase their power and of the errors that
lead to their decline and destruction.
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9. The Prince
• The 'Prince' of Macliiavelli is the product of the prevailing
conditions of his time in his country Italy,
• As such it is not an academic treatise or value oriented political
philosophy; it is in real sense real politik.
• It is a memorandum on the art of government. It is pragmatic
in character and provides technique of the fundamental
principles of statecraft for a successful ruler-ship.
• It deals with the machinery of the government which the
successful ruler could make use of it.
Patil Mahesh

10. • The book was dedicated to the Medici family.
• The Prince explored the causes of the rise and fall of states and
the factors for political success.
• As Gramsci has rightly pointed out, the basic thing the Prince
is that it is not a systematic treatment, but a ‘live’ work, in
which political ideology and political science are combined in
the dramatic form of a myth’.
• It sought to abolish religious or other emotional factors from
political practice.
Patil Mahesh

11. The Discourses
• The most elaborated work of Machiavelli is the
Discourses on the First Ten Books of Titus Livius
(1521).
• Taking Roman history as a starting point, the
Discourses attempts to dissect the anatomy of body
politic, and on a much more philosophical and
historical foundation than that of the Prince.
Patil Mahesh

12. Philosophy of Machiavelli
• MACHIAVELLI is known as the father of modern political
science. He is a transitional figure standing midway between
the medieval and modern political thought.
• He was a historian who laid the foundations of a new science
of politics by integrating contemporary history with ancient
past.
• He commanded a sinister reputation as no other thinker in the
annals of political theory. The initial reaction to Machiavelli’s
writing was one of shock and he himself was denounced as an
inventor of the devil.
Patil Mahesh

13. • This was because Machiavelli sanctioned the use of
deception, cruelty, force, violence and the like for
achieving the desired political ends.
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14. Views on, religion and ethics.
• Machiavelli was anti- church but not anti religion.
• He considered religion as necessary not only for man’s social
life but also for the health and prosperity of the state.
• It was important within a state because of the influence it
wielded over political life in general.
• Machiavelli’s attitude towards religion was strictly utilitarian. It
was a social force; it played a pivotal role because it appealed to
the selfishness of man through its doctrine of reward and
punishment, thereby inducing proper behavior and good conduct
that was necessary for the well-being of a society.
Patil Mahesh

15. • Religion determined the social and ethical norms and values that
governed human conduct and actions.
• It is a tool of influence and control in the hands of the ruler over
the ruled.
• Machiavelli sees in religion the poor man’s reason, ethics, and
morality put together and ‘where religion exists it is easy to
introduce armies and discipline’.
• The role of religion as a mere instrument of political domination,
solidity. and unity becomes even
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16. Human nature
• Humans are selfish animals:
• Reject the ancient or medieval ideas:
• People are not by nature community oriented
• People must satisfy their appetite and at the same time establish
stable government, however tenuous.
• People may also embrace rational politics, even religious salvation,
if they deem these goals worthy.
• Each individual is fully responsible for his or her choices and
actions both individually and equally, as everyone equally shares a
human nature that is selfish. Patil Mahesh

17. • Machiavelli discussed at some length about human nature. He gave very
dark picture of Human Nature.
• He equated it with animal nature.
• Human beings are ungrateful (untankful) and selfish.
• As put forth in his books his views about human nature are as follows :-
• Self-centered:- Man is self-centred, he thinks about his own
interest rather than the interests of any body else. He always cares for
himself. He is a greedy and sensual creature.
• Aggressive:- Human beings are aggressive. Every one is interest
to acquire more and not interested in leaving what has been once acquired.
They are always fighting with each other, thereby creating conditions of
anarchy.
Patil Mahesh

18. • Wicked (BAD):-Human beings are always prepared to work against
collective interests provided their own interests clash with them. All men an1
wicked in nature.
• Timid:- Man is always timid (nervous). Being timid he follows the line of
least resistance. He wants to follow only well established customs so that he
is not opposed by the society.
• Acquisitive (Materialistic):- Machiavelli was of the view that by nature men love
private property more than their kiths and kids. He can forget and forgive
murder than patrimony.
• Discontented (Unhappy):-Every human being always remains unsatisfied
and dissatisfied. No human being is content with his position. He is always
after domination.
• Stupid:-Most of the people are stupid and irrational. They are
always attracted by illusive good desires. Ultimately these result in their ruin.
Patil Mahesh

19. • Love for Change:-Human beings have love for novelty and
change.
• Ambitious:-By nature men are ambitious. They desire many
things which they cannot get with the result that they remain
dissatisfied and discontented. Enmities and wars are the
outcome of this desire.
• Libertarian:- Human beings seek maximum liberty. They
wish to
be independent of others.
• Criticisms
Patil Mahesh

20. Criticism
• Machiavelli has been criticized for his views about human nature.
• Extreme picture:-Human nature is not as bad as he has tried to
portray. Human beings are of course not completely good but at the same
time they are not completely bad as well.
• Cause of Evil:-Machiavelli has nowhere stated as to why the
human beings are bad and selfish. He has given no rational explanation
for that.
• Will not force the basis of state:- Machiavelli's views about
human nature also lead one to the conclusion that people came in the state
due to fear. Today it is fully established that will not force is the basis of the ,
state. In this regard his theory falls on the ground.
• Not incorrigible (habitual) - Machiavelli is of the view that human beings are
incorrigible. But this is not correct. With the help of education and making the people
realize about anti-social activities, all human beings can easily be reformed to a great
extent. Patil Mahesh

21. Patil Mahesh

22. Advice to King
• In the Prince, Machiavelli discovers the world of
governments and rulers and develops some revolutionary
ideas for a prince to acquire the leading position in the
government and maintain his authority and leadership.
• Though, the philosopher does not teach the ruler to be
good and just; his aim is to provide the governor with
practical applications of being a great prince but not a
good one.
• Machiavelli focuses on evil features more because they
would help to advance the power of the prince.
Patil Mahesh

23. • Ruthlessness:- The Prince should not hesitate to use power ruthlessly against those who
tried to challenge his authority. If need be he should also become cruel as well. He should
ruthlessly crush all opposition and not mind execution and bloodshed. He should not allow
any opposition.
• Fox and Lion:- A good Prince should know how to be both a fox
and a lion. He should not avoid using force. At the same time he should not
exclusively depend on that. He should try to persuade the people of his
politics and programmes.
• Peace:- The Prince should also try to see that there is peace and
calmness in the country. He should see that the people can live a
comfortable life.
• Exploitation of Moral Virtues:-A good prince should most
usefully exploit moral feelings of the people such as humbleness and
submission. If necessary he should also try to involve divine authority as well. '"
Patil Mahesh

24. • Firm in Decision:- A Prince should take final and decisive action,
no matter whether he commits mistakes. He should not even hesitate to
declare a war but be firm in that as well. He should be in a position to take
quick and timely decision.
• Strong Army:- A Prince should realize that no nation can survive without having a strong and
powerful army. He should have strong, well equipped army consisting of patriots.
• Good Soldier and Commander:- Of a good Prince it is expected
that he himself should be a good soldier and commander on the field. He
should be well aware of war techniques and latest war equipments.
• Exploitation of Patriotism and sense of duty:- A Prince would
deceive himself, if he feels that he could create a strong army only with the
help of money. Real strength of army did not lay in money but in the feelings
of patriotism and devotion to duty which a Prince could create with his
personal qualities.
Patil Mahesh

25. • Violation of promises:- Machiavelli was of the view that it was not
at all essential for a prince to keep his promises. A prince should be most
willing to violate all promises, if the interests and safety of the state so
demanded. In his own words, "Where there is the question of safety of
motherland, there is to be no consideration of just and unjust, pitiful or cruel
honorable and dishonorable; only that course is to be taken which will preserve the life and
maintain the liberty."
• Popular:-As far as possible the Prince should try to win sympathi
and cooperation of his people, then he should try to become popular. That
will make his position solid and even the opposition of the few rich and noble,
will not then effect or influence his position.
• Use of Fear:-It is always better for a prince to create an
atmosphere where his people fear from him. It is better to be feared than to
be loved. He should only be feared but not hated. The love could change as |
soon as the ruler withdrew benefits and concessions.
Patil Mahesh

26. • Dishonesty and Fraud:-According to Machiavelli, it was not
always essential for a prince to be honest. Fraud was no dishonesty in politics.
To preserve his position as well as that of the state he should be dishonest
where necessary.
• Abstinence from wealth and women:-A successful prince must
always abstain from property and women of his subject. He should very
sincerely avoid both. He must realize that the people are usually touchy on
both these things. He is sure to be hated if he touches any one of them.
• Secrecy:- It is in the interest of the Prince himself to see that he
is in a position to maintain utmost secrecy. If he ensures that his plans do not
leak out he is bound to be a success in running his administration.
• No friends or foes:-A Prince must realize that for the state there
are no permanent friends or enemies. Accordingly, he should be on the look
out of an opportunity to his advantage and should not miss it under any
circumstances. Patil Mahesh

27. • Selfish use of Education and Propaganda:- By education and
propaganda The Prince should create an atmosphere by which the subjects
should begin to feel that their interests are identical with those of the Prince
and that the Prince can only deliver the goods to them.
• Avoid Flatterers:- The greatest weakness of a Prince can be his
habit of listening to his Own praise. Flattery is aimed to let down a Prince
and result in his fall. Machiavelli has therefore, suggested that a Prince must
keep the flatterers at a safe distance so that they do not influence his
decisions.
• Destruction of Vanquished:-When a Prince conquers new
territories where the people are in the habit of enjoying freedom, he must
completely destroy that because freedom loving people cannot adjust to new
circumstances easily.
Patil Mahesh

28. • False Show:- A Prince may not be essentially good, but he should try to show that he is always good,
sincere, humane and sympathetic. Thus, according to Machiavelli, the Prince should always pose to
be good and doing everything for the welfare of his subjects.
• Selective:- As far as possible Prince should not listen to every
body because that is likely to lower his position. He should select few wise
and intelligent counsels and to them patiently. He should hot give
everybody the liberty of coming nearer and closer to him.
• Achievement of Prince:-The Prince should know the opinion of
the subjects as to whether they wish him to be miser or to lavishly spend from
the public exchequer, accordingly, so that he can get their' praise and
cooperation.
• Proper Estimate of Enemy. The prince should try to destroy the
enemy in the, initial stages so, that he should not become a powerful person
to challenge his authority. He should never under-estimate or over-estimate
the strength of the enemy but try to have proper intelligence about his real
strength. Patil Mahesh

29. • No friends in politics:- The prince should make his friends realize
that he was extending them every cooperation and in fact he should do that,
but fully well realizing that in politics there were no permanent friends. A
friend of today can become a foe of tomorrow as well.
• Expansion:- Machiavelli said that either a Prince must expand or
stagnate. There was no other way out. It was therefore, both in the interest
of the Prince and the people that he must expand.
• Thus Machiavelli has given unethical tips to his Prince to remain in
power. Though outwardly he is condemned by many for his ideas, yet in real practice his ideas are
very much preached by many politicians of even the modern world.
Patil Mahesh

30. Father of Modern Political Science
• Machiavelli is regarded as the father of modern political theory and political science.
• Apart from theorizing about the state he also given meaning to the concept of
sovereignty.
• Machiavelli’s importance was in providing an outlook that accepted both secularization
and a moralization of politics.
• He took politics out of context of theology, and subordinated moral and subordinated
moral principles to the necessities of political existence and people’s welfare.
• The absence of religious polemics in Machiavelli led the theorists who followed to
confront issues like order and power in strictly political terms.
• Thus Machiavelli was the first who gave the idea of secularism. The Machiavellian
state is to begin within a complete sense, and entirely secular state.
Patil Mahesh

31. • Divorce of Religion and Politics:- Credit goes to Machiavelli for
boldly and clearly divorcing religion front politics. The religion should have
no place in state activities. The Prince should not act according to the wishes
of the Pope.
• Distinction in Public and Private Morality. Machiavelli another
contribution to he political thought was that for he First time he distinguished
between public and private morality, which be felt must be separated from
each other.
• Refutation of Natural and Eternal Law. Machiavelli was the first
political thinker of his times to abandon the idea of natural law. In its place
he gave the idea that the law was positive rule created by the sovereign in the
state. He did not believe that there were certain eternal laws. Thus he refuted
the idea of natural or eternal law.
Patil Mahesh

32. • Rejection of Divine Law:- Machiavelli also did not contribute to the idea of divine
Law. Man has no super-natural ends and as such it is wrong ! to believe that Divine
Law has any purpose to perform, in the words of Foster, "Machiavelli values
religion only as ah instrument to the ends of the state.
• State as an end:-As a modern thinker Machiavelli made a
valuable contribution by saying that the state was an end itself. He did not
care for the morality of means. He believed that end always justified the
means. For the first time he put forth the idea that, individual conscience
should be sacrificed-over the state. Like a realist he believed that the history
was an illustration of the strength and nothing else. Therefore he worshipped
power as the only deity to be worshipped. Without power there was nothing
a prince could rely upon.
Patil Mahesh

33. • Nationalism:- Machiavelli was a symbol of nationalism. He pleaded that there is nothing above or
beside it and that it is an end in itself. It may not sound us of much importance today, but it was his
greatest contribution to the era in which he was living. In the words of Sabine, "Machiavelli more
than any other political thinker created the modern political age. Even the word itself, as the name of
the sovereign political body, appears to have been made current in the modern times largely by his
writing."
• Secularism:-Machiavelli was again the first political thinker who
believed in secularism. Living in the days of theocracy he stood for
secularism which can in no way be underestimated.
• Naturalistic Theory of State:- Another contribution of Machiavelli
to the modern political thought is that for the first time he pleaded that man
had no super natural ends and was not governed by the divine law. He thus
made the conception of naturalistic theory of the state a logical one.
• Psychological Treatment:- Machiavelli was the first political
thinker who said that a ruler should try to psychologically deal with his
subjects and should consider that before acting.
Patil Mahesh

34. • Farewell to medieval philosophy:- Another contribution of
Machiavelli was to the philosophy of middle ages. His .conception of
autonomous authorities, with which he replaced central authority is both
original and novel in so far as his age was concerned. In an age of
feudalism he shook its very basis and thus invited the wrath of the feudalists
and forced that.
• Elected Authority:-Machiavelli was modern in suggesting that
the republican form of government is the best one. He stood for elected
rather than a hereditary head of the state. His conception of elected head of
state fully materialized in the theory of general will as expounded by
Rousseau.
• Logical concept of Sovereignty:- Credit also again goes to
Machiavelli for attempting to give logical conception of Sovereignty by
defining it as independent and supreme authority both internally as well as
externally. Even today this definition is considered as the most logical one.
It was put on scientific basis by Austin. Patil Mahesh

35. • Theory of Statecraft:- Machiavelli contributed to the theory of statecraft when he
shook the foundations of the age long Greek philosophy of 'city states' and in its
place pleaded for national states. The conception of city states had outlived its
utility. The world needed another conception which Machiavelli rightly pleaded.
His conception of national state is being followed even today.
Patil Mahesh

36. CRITICISMS
• Nothing about major political issues:-Machiavelli's writings are full of
contradictions and in many cases he cannot be called as thinker. He
discussed and talked about nothing else except the art of War and Politics. He
did not discuss and solve special, economic and political problems which are
equally important and in some cases rather more importance.
• State as One Man Show:-Machiavelli was not farsighted when
he made the state as one man show. The absolutism of Prince was not
realistic.
• Divorce of Ethics from Politics:-Machiavelli's belief that a
cunning prince can produce or change social and economic and religious
values to his own ends is not correct. All these values are correlated with
politics and have a close bearing on each other. To think of divorcing one
from the other or of making the one the handmaid of others is not proper
and mostly not possible.
Patil Mahesh

37. • Mis-representation of Religion:-Machiavelli mis-represented
the religious thought of his age and tried to mould religion according to his
political wishes. He thus earned the criticism of many. He was narrow in 1m
thoughts and philosophy. He did not take a universal view of the religion.
Had he written sometime after reformation he must have treated religion
on quite different footings.
• Too much stress on force:-. Machiavelli laid too much and undue
stress on the role of force in keeping the people closer to each other. By
overestimating the use of force, he underestimated the part being played
by willing cooperation of the people in coming nearer and closer lo
each other.
• Diplomatic Literature:- It has been said about Machiavelli that
his writings are more a diplomatic literature rather than Laving any
philosophical approach to the problem.
Patil Mahesh

38. • Only Political institutions:-Machiavelli only thought about
political and has not given due place and respect to social and religions
institutions.
• Ends do not justify means:- Machiavelli is not correct in his idea
that the ends justify means. If his philosophy is taken to its logical conclusion
then a class of politically corrupt people is bound to come to power, with all
determination to hold all power and position at all costs.
• Wrong presumption of human nature:-Machiavelli's whole
philosophy is based on the presumption that human beings are wicked by
nature. It I is because of this wicked nature that state came into being.
Machiavelli committed a blunder by generalizing human nature on what he
had seen in Italy. Philosophically, he has failed to discuss as to why human
nature is bad. He has failed to advance any reasons for that.
Patil Mahesh

39. • Over stress on Law givers:- Another criticism advanced
against Machiavelli is that he has over stressed the role of law
givers and legislator in moulding religious and social
institutions.
Patil Mahesh

40. CONTRIBUTION OF MACHIAVELLI
• Influence:-ln spite of the above shortcomings of his philosophy there is no
doubt that Machiavelli influence was very tremendous. The fact stands
that what he preached in l6th century is more true in 20th century due to the
influence
• Art of statecraft:-The art of statecraft is today very rightly followed in the
modern state in one guise or the other.
• Expansionism:- The policy of naked expansion, as preached by
Machiavelli, may be condemned today but the policy of expansion by
military pacts, and still more by group alliances in the form of civilized
activity stands today.
• Nationalism:- Nationalism is still deep rooted in the world. It will take
nations still a long time to throw away nationalism and to adopt
internationalism .
Patil Mahesh

41. • Efficiency:- Efficiency, as the keynote of success, is as true today as it was
in the 16th century.
• Elected Authority:- When Machiavelli preached about elected head of
State it might not have been listened in his time. But the idea finds favour
in the world of today where the states feel both pleasure and pride in
having an elected head of the state.
• Synthesis of political theory and political practice:- Machiavelli
taught the Princes that they should stop differentiating between the political
theory and political practice. No doubt still much difference remains in
and practice in almost all the world constitutions but a constant attempt
is being made to end the existing differences.
• Power politics.:-Machiavelli was the first political thinker who believed in
power politics. He was the fore-runner of many modern states.
Patil Mahesh