Great Thinkers_Machiavelli_CRN 20211 CEPD course Continuing Education Centre for Lifelong learning 5 credits- short course

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Syllabus:
Session 1 & 2
•Introducing Machiavelli
Florence: The Florentine Histories
Session 3
•Machiavelli the Diplomat
Machiavelli and the Medici: The Prince
Session 4
•Machiavelli the Soldier: The Art of War
Session 5
•Machiavelli and the Modern World

3. Session 1 (Slides 1 to 13)Session 1 (Slides 1 to 13)
•Introducing Machiavelli
Florence: The Florentine Histories
•Machiavelli, Italy and the PoliticalMachiavelli, Italy and the Political
Context ;Context ;
•Republics, Princedoms and Troops ;Republics, Princedoms and Troops ;
•Politics, men and rulers ;Politics, men and rulers ;
•Conclusion.Conclusion.
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4. Q: Can one be a politician and still be popular/loved?Q: Can one be a politician and still be popular/loved?
Q: Is being a good politician, being a good person?Q: Is being a good politician, being a good person?
Q: What is good “Governance”?Q: What is good “Governance”?
Q: Is it better to be loved or feared? And why?Q: Is it better to be loved or feared? And why?
Q: What happens to “nice” politicians?Q: What happens to “nice” politicians?
Q: Can a leader be “good”? What is “good”?Q: Can a leader be “good”? What is “good”?
Q: Can the end justify the means?Q: Can the end justify the means?
Study Video: The Art of QuestioningStudy Video: The Art of Questioning
https://youtu.be/9SSV6mwPfTIhttps://youtu.be/9SSV6mwPfTI
QuestionsQuestions
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1469 - 1527
Introduction: https://youtu.be/AOXl0Ll_t9s

6. • The father of modern political thought.
• Anti-utopianism.
• ““only someone who acts as a fox in order to avoid
traps, and acts as a lion to strike with force, can
survive.” (re- the political arena)
• Lived between 1469 and 1527.
• An era of self- aggrandisement.
• The Italian political scene: “politico-military
alliances” is a matter of constant change.
• An age of national unification; France, Spain,
England and Austria were on the way of becoming
nation states. 6

7. • Born in Florence, attended the University of Florence
and was instated in 1498 after the ouster and execution
of Girolamo Savonarola, the head of the second
Chancery and as secretary to the main foreign relations
committee of the republic, called Ten of War.
• A skilled diplomat
• Served the republic for over fourteen years
• Although he was not given the title of ambassador, he
undertook state visits in the name of Florence in France,
Germany, and in the Papal State, as well as throughout
the Italian Peninsula.
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8. • The Prince, Discourses on Livy, Florentine Histories and The Art of
War.
• Political context: A divided Italy carved up by five principalities or
princedoms with an ambitious French king, Louis XII bent on
dominating them.
• It also was a period, in which the authority of the Papal State increased
and expanded, becoming a formidable political entity.
*(The Papal States were territories in the Italian Peninsula under the
sovereign direct rule of the pope, from the 8th century until 1870.)
• The Spanish king, Ferdinand, through an alliance with the Papal State
and managed to gain a foot hold in Italy, annexing Naples.
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9. • The capitulation of Florence in front of the Spanish troops, the
Medici Family was restored to power, after being exiled, the
institutions that comprised the republic were dissolved, and he was
dismissed from his post in the Chancellery.
• Accused of conspiracy, imprisoned and tortured and then released.
• The Prince: An advice and guideline to the new ruler of Florence,
probably in an attempt to regain the public office, which he receives,
but again looses after a short period of time, due to the sudden
collapse of the Medici regime and re-establishment of the republic.
• Shortly after, he dies
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11. • He divides the political rule into two big groups,
Republics and Princedoms.
• The Prince begins in the first phrase with this partition.
• The Republic is the ultimate symbol of authority
• ‘Rule of the people’ – their opinions, are very
important, in the sense that The People are more
capable of ruling than a prince would be.
• The Prince can become the victim of his vices and
passions.
• Despite how skilful or enlightened a Prince may be, he
would always end up being selfish, putting his needs
and interests first.
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12. • Good people created by good laws, this leading to his vision that people could
temper their excesses and passions.
• History is cyclical
• The state is always in a constant move towards either a republic or a princedom.
• His advice to the Prince is to use the knowledge he gives him in order to
strengthen the state and eventually return it to a republic, to the rule of the
people, the virtuous prince being the bridge between them, a sort of philosopher
king of ancient times.
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13. • Regards the use of mercenaries and
auxiliaries as a very poor choice for princes.
• The best defence is to use your own reliable
troops because they are permanently ready
to defend their home and willing to give
their life for a virtuous epilogue and for a
prince who shows strength, wisdom and
great ruling skills.
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15. • Politics is seen by Machiavelli as an art
• Sometimes evil is necessary: In order to protect the
princedom and his rule, the prince needs to embrace not
only the humanity but also the beast.
• “a ruler… must know how to act like a beast, he should
imitate both the fox and the lion, for the lion is liable to be
trapped, whereas the fox cannot ward off wolves. One needs,
then, to be a fox to recognise traps, and a lion to frighten
away wolves. Those who rely merely upon a lion’s strength do
not understand matters.”
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16. • As an analogy, in The Prince he argues that ‘They are
ungrateful, fickle, liars, and deceives, they shun danger and
are greedy for profit’; a virtuous prince must not leave
things to chance and fate, he must plan ahead and act in
accordance with human nature, he must be one step in
front of his enemies.
• «a ruler who wishes to maintain his power mustbe prepared
to act immorally when this becomes necessary”
• “To preserve the state, he often has to do things against his
word, against charity, against humanity, against religion.
[…] he should be ready to enter on evil if he has to’.
• A Prince must know when to keep his promises and
when he must not.
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17. • Neutrality
• A virtuous prince must be cautious, but at the same time
must not dwell on making a decision.
• A prince should always help an ally defeat an enemy, as a
way in which he can further befriend him, raise his
reputation and get rid of a threat.
• A virtuous prince must not leave things to fate and chance,
to fortune.
• Men cannot avoid them, but they must plan and prepare
for them because they can be like a torrential river, but in
certain respects they are still masters of our own destiny.
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18. 1.1. By own armsBy own arms
2.2. By arms of OthersBy arms of Others
3.3. By evil meansBy evil means
4.4. By civil meansBy civil means
4 Ways a New Prince can acquire a Principality/ Territory4 Ways a New Prince can acquire a Principality/ Territory
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19. By own armsBy own arms
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20. By arms of OthersBy arms of Others
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21. By Evil MeansBy Evil Means
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22. By Civil MeansBy Civil Means
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24. 1. All men are self-interested and selfish, even when they are doing selfless
things, they are social beings and do things either for personal status and
reputations or in order to gain something in the future.
2. The end justifies the means, if that means protecting your own interest or
that of your people.
3. A father must do certain things in order to protect his family or to take care
of them.
4. As way of living your own life, it is always wise to plan ahead, and not live
things to fortune and chance.
5. You cannot, for example, choose the family, in which you are born, but you
can, through work, skill, and ability overcome your status and succeed.
6. We are all masters of our destiny.
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25. • How does Machiavelli view human nature?
• Is Machiavelli’s book “evil”? What role does virtue play in
Machiavelli's state?
• Compare and contrast the different ways in which a
prince can rise to power.
QuestionsQuestions
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26. Suggested Essay QuestionsSuggested Essay Questions
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1. What are Machiavelli’s views regarding free will? Can historical
events be shaped by individuals, or are they the consequence of
fortune and circumstance?
2. Do you agree with Machiavelli’s thesis that stability and power
are the only qualities that matter in the evaluation of governments? If
not, what else matters?
4. Discuss class conflict in The Prince and its relationship to
successful government.
5. Discuss The Prince’s historical context. In what ways do the
arguments and examples of the The Prince reflect that context?
6. How much of The Prince is relevant to contemporary society in an
age when monarchies no longer are the primary form of
government?

27. The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli (Full Audiobook)
•https://youtu.be/FsijAJcwmXchttps://youtu.be/FsijAJcwmXc
Niccolo Machiavelli - BBC Documentary
•https://youtu.be/4WkLHhJJsFwhttps://youtu.be/4WkLHhJJsFw
•Spark-Notes:Spark-Notes:
http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/prince/context.htmlhttp://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/prince/context.html
•The New Machiavelli: How to Wield Power in the Modern
World Paperback – 28 Jul 2011- by author: Jonathan Powell
•See at 14:15 / 4:05:36 (https://youtu.be/4WkLHhJJsFw)
•Book Review: http://alexwhite.org/2011/04/book-review-the-new-
machiavelli-by-jonathan-powell/
•31:20 / 4:05:36 https://youtu.be/4WkLHhJJsFw
Resources/ Audio Materials
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Directions - After reading each section of the “Niccolo Machiavelli: The Prince
(excerpts)” handout, discuss the following points.
That Which Concerns a Prince on the Subject of the Art of War
• What should be the primary concern of a prince?
• What is the consequence of ignoring this primary concern?
• What can be gained by focusing on this area?
Concerning Things for Which Men, and Especially Princes, are Blamed
• What does Machiavelli refer to as “imaginary things”?
• Why does Machiavelli feel a prince should “know how to do wrong”?
• Why should a prince not be concerned with how he appears?

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Concerning Cruelty and Clemency, and Whether it is Better to be Loved than
Feared
• According to Machiavelli, is it better to be feared than loved?
• Why is it not enough for a leader to be loved?
• What restrictions did Machiavelli place on evil actions by a leader?
General Discussion Questions
• What kind of government would be most likely to have a leader follow Machiavellian
principles?
• Are there historical examples that might have followed Machiavelli’s advice?
• From what you read, would Machiavelli agree that "the ends justify the means"?
• Considering its content, what was Machiavelli’s goal in writing The Prince?
• As a group, do you agree with the main points made in The Prince? Why or why
not?

31. QUOTES
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Position that call
for leadership
Skills that a leader
should have
Descriptive skills
that helps leaders
get ahead
Activity
Please brain storm

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