Niccolò Machiavelli Essay Example

Niccolà ² Machiavelli Essay Example Niccolà ² Machiavelli Paper Niccolà ² Machiavelli Paper The Prince, the philosopher Machiavellis most famous work, was a book dedicated to the leader Lorenzo de Medici, written on the topic of how to be an effective ruler. The basis of Machiavellis theory was that conditions of a society rise and fall perpetually as time continues, and a successful leader must learn to cope with these fluctuations. Of all the philosophers so far, Machiavellis take on the obligations of leaders and on government itself has been the most agreeable. In order to contend with constant change, leaders must understand and consider 5 key ideas: fortuna, virtu, necessita, occasione, and ordini. The factual existence and proof of these ideas are demonstrated today. Fortuna is the idea that everything that occurs, occurs by chance. Combined with virtu, the ability to think and act intelligently to overcome fortuna, and necessita, the obligation to face things necessary for human purposes, this states that a good leader must be prepared to help his people cope with sudden changes. For example, President Bush has given regular speeches about the September 11th attacks to keep the country in a state of ordini, which is the constant goal of order in a government. The United States Government is now using its virtu and necessita to determine the next step whether it be war or peace and is trying to find the occasione the time to act upon its decisions. Machiavelli was greatly disliked for his opinions expressed in The Prince. He thought that politics was a science; by studying the lives of great politicians of the past, the world today could supposedly do the same and gain the same results. In addition, he appropriately believed religion and morals should be eliminated from politics altogether, leaving politics amoral (with no knowledge of morals). This stated that leaders, therefore, could do bad or evil things in order to gain a greater good, such as in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki though many lives were lost, more would have been inevitably taken if the war had dragged on. Sometimes, however, leaders misjudge what the greater good actually is, and ends up doing immoral or at least incorrect things without any more-positive results; in these instances, according to Machiavelli, the leader is in fact in the wrong. For example, the USs interference in the Vietnam War simply cost us thousands of American lives. In order to be an effective leader, one must understand that people are not always agreeable, and peace is not a given. As a result of this, Machiavelli developed a 7th idea of an economy of violence if people do not listen to the government, then they must be punished. A truly competent leader would be able to minimize the amount of punishment and violence, and maximize prosperity. The US is once again a good example of this the government has created laws, which, if the people abide by them, allow benefits for the abiding individuals; however, those who break the laws are punished. Machiavellis views are accurate in stating, The end justifies the means. Though sometimes certain situations are too extreme to be applied to this theory, the idea in itself is appropriate, for if there is a greater good to be had, then sometimes evil acts are necessary. Society is in constant change, and leaders who have been accepted and beneficial have been able to cope with these changes.