The Prince
by Niccolo Machiavelli
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Book Summary Information
Author: Niccolo MachiavelliEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-09-26
ISBN: 1449534325
Number of pages: 82
Publisher: CreateSpace
Book Reviews of The Prince
Book Review: When a name becomes a pejorative adjective...
Summary: 4 Stars
"Machiavellian" - not normally considered a term of approbation. There are numerous editions of this classic book on the use of political power, written in the 16th Century. In my edition, which I first purchased and read over 40 years ago, there is an introduction by Christian Gauss. In it, he says: "On the strength of a famous essay of Macaulay's, the notion had become fairly widespread that the devil himself had become familiarly known as the Old Nick only because Niccolo had been Machiavelli's first name." Machiavelli based his book on what seems to be an eminently sensible proposition: instead of describing an ideal world or society, why not describe political power in the context of the real world, shorn of moral considerations. He best formulated this premise in chapter 15, on "Of the Things for which Men, and Especially Princes, are Praised or Blamed," when he says: "Therefore it is necessary for a prince who wishes to maintain himself, to learn how not to be good, and to use this knowledge and not use it, according to the necessity of the case."
Machiavelli was a contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci, and lived at a time when the Popes, like Alexander VI, openly fathered children, despite that much tattered vow of chastity. On my recent re-read, the classic and timeless nature of Machiavelli's insights was confirmed. Various passages could have tumbled out of today's headlines: "Thus it came about that King Charles of France was allowed to take Italy without the slightest trouble, and those who said that it was owing to our sins..." Sounds like Pat Robertson pontificating about the reasons for 9-11, or the Haiti earthquake - it was God's wrath at our sins! There are substantial passages dedicated to the quality and type of soldiers that fight on behalf of your country. Consider: "The mercenaries and auxiliaries are useless and dangerous, and if any one supports his state by the arms of mercenaries, he will never stand firm or sure..." And now America, due to the repeal of the draft, has an increasing chasm between the few that fight its wars, and the many who rest comfortably at home; and there is also an increasing reliance on foreigners in our military, serving in the hopes of obtaining citizenship, as well as a large number of mercenaries, epitomized by the infamous Blackwater Group. And how does this sound for a description of the "nobility" of Wall Street utilizing the political system, regardless of political party: "for when the nobility see that they are unable to resist the people they unite in exalting one of their number and creating him prince, so as to be able to carry out their own designs under the shadow of his authority."
"The Prince" is a short book, barely a hundred pages, in my edition, without the introduction. It is not a particularly easy read, for it is often a string of aphorisms that need to be considered and digested, all placed against a background of historical examples that most Americans are not familiar with, like the internecine struggles of Italy at the time, the various sieges of Syracuse (and we're not talking New York!), and the rule of Darius. In general though, Machiavelli's judgments have withstood the test of time. And the book is "choppy," as the author jumps from one topic to the other. Some of his assessments are questionable. Consider: "A prince is further esteemed when he is a true friend or a true enemy, when, that is, he declares himself without reserve in favor of some one or against another. This policy is always more useful than remaining neutral." Yet we have witnessed the enormous power and influence certain politicians have achieved by remaining in that seeming "neutral" position, as the "swing vote", as recently exemplified in the effort to pass comprehensive health care reform. Machiavelli concludes his book with a polemic of exhortation, urging that Italy be "liberated from the barbarians." The chapter is so anomalous with the rest of the work that some have proposed that it was added by others after his death.
Finally, I liked the balance that he struck between fortune (a/k/a dumb blind luck) and our ability to affect our fate: "Nevertheless, that our free will may not be altogether extinguished, I think it may be true that fortune is the ruler of half our actions, but that she allows the other half or thereabouts to be governed by us."
Overall, on the re-read, 4-stars.
Summary of The Prince
The classic by Niccolo Machiavelli.Politics Books
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