5. Use Machiavelli to argue against The Beatitudes.

The Beatitudes call for a perfect world where everyone is holy and follows the rules of God.  This is something someone should aim for, but it is practically impossible for anyone to meet these standards.  Machiavelli knows this.  In writing The Prince he had to be realistic about what actually goes on in the world and how to survive in it.  The Beatitudes say, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  (Matthew 5:3 New International Version) This beatitude says that those who have not had the best of luck and are poor will be saved and raised up to the Heaven when they die.  They need to be humble and live holy lives in order to make it to Heaven.  Machiavelli argues that a prince should do whatever it takes to gain power and to rise up in life, no matter what the cost. The Beatitudes also say, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."  (Matthew 5:7 New International Version) Machiavelli argues that a prince needs to be strict and cruel at times in order to remain in power.  He says that it's acceptable for a prince to even kill at times if it is necessary.  The prince should not show mercy because then he will be seen as week.  Machiavelli doesn't agree that a person needs to be holy and have good qualities.  He says that is good to show some good qualities, but that trying to keep them takes too much time and energy, so a prince should focus more on doing whatever it takes to be in power. Machiavelli does not see living a life on the straight and narrow path as being the most important.

Works Cited:

Machiavelli, N. (1532). The Prince. Florence: Antonio Blado d'Asola. .

Holy Roman Empire Presentation

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4. Use The Beatitudes to argue against Machiavelli.

Machiavelli's views in The Prince go against God's word and will. Machiavelli says that in order to have control of a principality one must be brutal. Machiavelli uses Agathocles the Sicilian as an example of this. Agathocles had risen in power to become the Praetor of Syracuse. He was determined to become prince and use violence to do it. One day Agathocles gathered the people and senate of Syracuse, pretending that he had to discuss things about the Republic with them. When he gave a signal, the soldiers killed all of the senators and the richest people. This allowed Agathocles to take control over the princedom. (Ch. 13) Machiavelli doesn't say that this was a way to gain glory, but that it was a way to gain control over a principality which is of most importance. He feels that it is ok to be cruel in order to gain power. The Beatitudes say, "blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5 New International Version) Someone who is meek does not kill people to gain power, which is what Machiavelli is suggesting a prince should do. Machiavelli says, "...because how one lives is so far distant from how one ought to live, that he who neglects what is done for what ought to be done, sooner effects his ruin than his preservation; for a man who wishes to act entirely up to his professions of virtue soon meets with what destroys him among so much that is evil." (Ch. 15) Machiavelli is saying that a prince should not be concerned about living the way the Lord wants because there is so much that is bad in the world that a prince has to be able to deal with and defend against evil and being peaceful and holy will not let him do this. The Beatitudes say, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8 New International Version) One who is committing evil acts in order to remain powerful are not pure in heart. In The Prince Machiavelli basically says that it is better to be feared and powerful than it is to be loved and insignificant. (Ch. 17) As long as the prince is in power then nothing else matters. The prince remaining in power is important to him, but in reality when it comes time to be judged by God having been a powerful ruler will not matter because in the end it is whether or not you lived your life in a holy way that matters.

Works Cited:

Machiavelli, N. (1532). The Prince. Florence: Antonio Blado d'Asola. .

10/28/10 - Review

• Principalities of Italy 
•  Milan, Florence, Venice 
• England was ruled by monarchial families. Italian city-states were ruled by wealthy merchant families. 
• Quattrocento - ex. Medici family coming into power. 
• Medici family 
• Giovanni, Cosmo, Lorenzo 
• Artists 
• Giotto, Donatello, Brunelleschi, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael 
• In England you had futile society - the lord of the land and the serfs that worked the land. No movement between social orders. 
• In Italy there was movement between social orders. If you could make money and gain influence you could rise up through the social orders.
• Oration of the Dignity of Man - Pico della Mirandola
• Renaissance
• Celebration of the individual in painting 
• Arts and classical learning 
• Secular spirit
• Very intellectual
• not completely bound to what religion tells them to do. 
• Humanism
• Courtier - people in the nobility within the court of the princes that Machiavelli talks about.
• Were like the knights of England.  
• Castiglione - wrote a book about how to be a proper nobleman: The Book of the Courtier.  This had a great influence on the culture of the court and what it meant to be refined and sophisticated. 
• All of this comes to a rude ending when Lorenzo dies at age 43.  He does not leave a strong leader behind for Florence. 
• In 1494, Charles VIII of France invades Italy with the hope of conquering Naples. 
• The problem is that there are principalities between France and Naples.  Fighting breaks out in the area. 
• King Ferdinand II of Aragon contests France's claim to Naples. 
• Spain and France start to fight. 
• Italian War of 1521-1526
• Machiavelli 
• lived from 1469-1527
• Many people consider him to be the father of modern political science. 
• The Prince 
• He wanted to write a book that any prince in the principalities of Italy could use to make their cities strong again and reunify the areas of Italy that were hurt by the Italian War.
• It was not published until 1532
• 3 most important things that princes needed to know. 
• 1. Approach their relations with the people from the pessimistic view of society. 
• 2. Because human nature is selfish and greedy, a prince has to be able to manipulate people and use situations to get his own ulterior motives. 
• 3. A prince must be both ruthless and pragmatic (seeing everything from a political standpoint). 
• prag·ma·tism  –noun
• 1. character or conduct that emphasizes practicality.
• 2.a philosophical movement or system having various forms, butgenerally stressing practical consequences as constitutingthe essential criterion in determining meaning, truth, or value

3. According to Machiavelli, when is generosity a good thing? (Be specific, identify, and cite his argument).

            Machiavelli believes that it is good to be thought of as generous, but generosity can hurt a prince because if it is shown in an honest way like it should be, then it might not become known to the people that the prince is generous causing them to think the opposite.  A prince who is very generous will end up using all his property so that in order to give to the people he has to take from them first.  The prince would have to greatly tax the people so that he would be able to get money to give to them.  This would have the opposite effect from what the prince intended by being generous.  Instead of being loved by his people, they would start to hate him.  Since the prince would be losing money he would also lose power. In the end it takes up too much time and energy to try and be thought of as a generous prince. (Ch. 16)

           There are some cases where generosity can be a good thing though. Machiavelli says, "if he is wise he ought not to fear the reputation of being mean, for in time he will come to be more considered than if liberal, seeing that with his economy his revenues are enough, that he can defend himself against all attacks, and is able to engage in enterprises without burdening his people; thus it comes to pass that he exercises liberality towards all from whom he does not take, who are numberless, and meanness towards those to whom he does not give, who are few."  (Ch. 16) Machiavelli is saying that at first a prince would need to be frugal, saving money, so that once there is extra money saved up he can use it for generous deeds.  Machiavelli also says that it is good to be generous when working to become a prince.  For example, Caesar obtained his empire by being generous, but if he had lived and not controlled his spending then he would've caused the downfall of his empire.  

           Machiavelli basically says generosity can hurt a prince if the prince is unwise, but it can also be good if the prince knows how to control it.  It is more important for the prince to keep his power by being a bit mean than it is for him to be generous and loved.  Being generous is a good thing, but only when it is given wisely.

Works Cited:

Machiavelli, N. (1532). The Prince. Florence: Antonio Blado d'Asola. .

2. Who is a prince's greatest ally? (Chapters 9, 19, 20, 21)

According to Machiavelli, a prince's greatest ally is the people. The people are what keep the prince in power. The people can help protect a prince from dangerous conspiracies.  If a subject conspires against a prince who is loved by the people then the subject or conspirator will have to face the people, who vastly outnumber him.  A wise subject would see the love that the people have for the prince and know not to conspire against him because it would not benefit him. (Ch. 19) A prince should always let his subjects keep their arms or if they do not have arms he should give them some. By arming subjects, they become faithful and those who were already be faithful stay that way.  If a prince were to disarm his subjects he would be showing the people that he does not trust them, either because of cowardice or his desire for loyalty. (Ch. 20)  Machiavelli says,  "the prince who has more to fear from the people than from foreigners ought to build fortresses, but he who has more to fear from foreigners than from the people ought to leave them alone."  He is saying that a prince should only build fortresses if he is fearful of his people because that is the only time when he would be in danger.  If the prince is well liked by the people then they will protect him.  He will not need a fortress to do it for him.  (Ch. 20) A prince should always aim for the reputation of being a "great and remarkable man." (Ch. 21) A prince should always try to be fair and good to his people.  They will remain loyal in return.

          The people are what the prince needs in order to even be a prince, for without the people, a prince could not even exist.   A prince is powerless without a group of people to rule over.  A prince's popularity with his people is what can make or break him.  This is why the people are so important.  If they are on the prince's side, he will succeed, but if they are not, then he will fail.

Works Cited:

Machiavelli, N. (1532). The Prince. Florence: Antonio Blado d'Asola. .

1. Which of the following would be most successful in business today? And what kind of business would they run (Internet startup, chain store, international conglomerate, NGO, mafia)? Remirro da Orca (chapter 7), Oliverotto da Fermo (chapter 8) Cesare Borgia.

        Ramiro d'Orca was a "swift and cruel man." He brought peace to Romagna, but was executed after the duke that had promoted him decided that some of the people hated him because of the mean ways he had treated them before, so in order to make the people forget about any of his cruel acts and make them loyal to only him, he wanted to show that any cruelty that had been practiced had not come from him, but from d'Orca. Ramiro d'Orca would be a good assistant to a leader, such as a president or governor.  He was good at making peace, which would be helpful to a political leader that had to try to mediate between multiple sides, but he was not very good at surrounding himself with the right people.  He didn't watch his back, causing him to be falsely accused of acts of cruelty and executed.  He could not be trusted with an extremely high position, but as an assistant to a major political leader, there would be people working to protect him too.

       Olivertto worked under Borgia. He rose to power with the help of his uncle, Giovanni Fogliani. He wanted more though and he decided to try to seize Fermo for himself. He fought for the Florentines against Pisa, but was accused of treason by Florence. However, he was spared because the government of Fermo intervened. He then went into the service of Cesare Borgia. Then Olivertto wrote to his uncle, saying that he wished to come back and visit his home and city. He held a banquet for prominent people of his home, but during the dinner he started praising Cesare Borgia. As Machiavelli says:

"When the viands and all the other entertainments that are usual in such banquets were fiinished, Oliverotto artfully began certain grave discourses, speaking of the greatness of Pope Alexander and his son Cesare, and of their enterprises, to which discourse Giovanni and others answered; but he rose at once, saying that such matters ought to be discussed in a more private place, and he betook himself to a chamber, whither Giovanni and the rest of the citizens went in after him. No sooner were they seated than soldiers issued from secret places and slaughtered Giovanni and the rest." 

One year after the incident at the banquet Olivertto was strangled.  Olivertto would be a good mafia leader in today's world.  One of his main strengths was having groups of people listen to him, as can be seen from when his soldiers killed Giovanni and the rest of the citizens at the banquet.  He was good at commanding people.  They did what he wanted and respected his power over them.  He also would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.  These are traits of mafia men.  

      Cesare Borgia would be the most successful in modern day business.  Machiavelli says, "Cesare Borgia was considered cruel; notwithstanding, his cruelty reconciled the Romagna, unified it, and restored it to peace and loyalty."  Borgia was a good ruler.  He used a form of "tough love" to control the people.  In order to keep control the people had to fear him a bit, so that they would not dare to rise against him.  This method worked for him and helped him to stay in power.  Borgia would be the CEO of a huge company such as Comcast or Apple.  Borgia had been a leader of armies and people.  The business world can be very similar to the military world. Larger companies, many times take over and buy up smaller ones, just like larger countries do when they conquer new places through war.  Borgia would be good at "conquering" these new businesses in order to expand his empire.  He would also be good at keeping his company in order because he was a harsh leader so people would be afraid not to follow his directions.   His company would be almost unstoppable.  

Works Cited: 

Machiavelli, N. (1532). The Prince. Florence: Antonio Blado d'Asola. .