Please enable JavaScript.

Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.

✓ (done) Machiavelli: The Prince, Chapters - Coggle Diagram

- - - - description of the ordinary subject is different from other philosophers
        
        Aristotle: considers free citizens (men, since women and slaves are disregarded) as the main reason for state's existence
        
        Machiavelli: However, Machiavelli sees the subjects as simpleminded -- they hate or love their rule only on the basis of their expectations, and the prince can maintain control with little concern for their welfare.
  - - - the primary and only virtue Machiavelli shows is the self-determination of the prince: he needs to rely on his own prowess, have the loyalty of his army, surround himself with those who will not undermine him.
    - - he potrays citizens as simpleminded, unintelligent people naturally disposed to be under a ruler
      - the people hardly matter in Machiavelli's ideology: as Louise XIV said -- 'L'etat, cest moi' (the state is me). That echoes the philosophy in The Prince: the ruler is the state and the state is the ruler.
        
        This though does not men Machiavelli ignores the support of people to uphold a regime. Machiavelli is simply not concerned with the motivations of the people.
  - - - instead of advising on the scope of cruelty, Machiavelli argues cruel acts must be committed necessarily and all at once. Then, it must definitively ceased as the prince must act benevolently to hold support.
        
        however, it can be argued that there are more ways to win support than just through cruelty or benevolance.
    - - he characterizes the use of cruelty as ''evil'', therefore bringing it about as a necessary evil. this therefore contradicts the idea of The Prince being amoral, as he recognises the immorality in it.
  - - - the ultimate aim is less about citizen happiness and more about patriotism: the idea of defending the state and therefore, the ruler.
        
        so the aim of obtaining support of people is the means to ensuring the city is defended and so is the ruler.
    - - does not relate the Church being in politics as a way of a state being in a higher moral plane, though he does identify them as principalities. he just sees them as any other state.
  - - - he argues successful warcraft is the foundation for establishing statemanship
        
        to him, war does not only comprise of military force: there should be diplomatic, political, geographical and historical rigor involved.
        
        to learn how to govern, machiavelli states that “the prince ought to read history, and reflect upon the deeds of outstanding men, […] examine the causes of their victories and defeats, and thereby learn to emulate the former and avoid the latter."
      - advocated for internal troops due to his assertion for self-reliance.
  - - - he believes philosophy must be judged by practicality, and to Machiavelli, virtue is simply one that garners praise from others.
      - [some more things you should take note but are too tired to do so]
      - a prince with the sole aim of safeguarding his country will have to exercise certain cruelty.
        
        "It is better to be feared than to be loved, if one cannot be both."
        
        contemporary society: death penalty, Singapore
  - - - e.g. think of political image today
      - "The implication is that manliness is a prerequisite for ruling. Machiavelli notes that Alexander was thought to be ruled by his mother, and therefore deemed effeminate, a perception that led to his downfall."
      - attributes femininity to loss of respect, and gives importance to harder virtues that are considered more manly.
- - - - Therefore, Machiavelli deems it is better to be feared than to be loved as men are “ungrateful, fickle, dissembling, anxious to flee danger, and covetous of gain". A bond of love is therefore easy to break, but fear of punishment stays effective.
- - - - 1) The subjects are familiar with the prince's family, establishing a familiarity
        
        ∴ The ruler then can reconquer the state if the outsider invading the state encounters obstacles
      - 2) the nature of the people would be to love the ruling family.
- - - - the failure to meet expectations will induce subjects to bear arms and cause disorder
        
        ∴ after taking power, the ruler faces the prospect of losing the principality
        
        HOW TO TACKLE
        
        A prince should successfully suppress a revolt
        
        The ruler then can punish rebels and disintegrate opposition to prevent further revolt
  - - - 1) decimate former ruler's family,
      - 2) maintain laws and taxes of principality
        
        This will prevent people from causing disorder as their old ways of life are not changed.
    - - by doing so, it helps address issues more efficiently
      - prevents local officials from unscrupulous territory robbery
      - subjects, being in close contact with the prince, will show their allegiance and will fear to oppose as punishment is near and swift.
    - - less expensive to establish colonies than establish military occupation
      - the prince should only harm people with the certainty of no threat for revenge.
      - military bases displease the subjects and might invoke hostile enemies capable of causing harim to the regime.
- - - - new principalities are completely new or new additions to existing states
        
        a prince can acquire a principality through his own army, or through others' army
      - hereditary: passes down power through the ruling family
- - - - better than involving nobles as he is the only ruler in the country
        
        everyone remains subservient to the prince
        
        harder to take over a country as ministers have little incentive to be corrupted
    - - nobles have subjects of their own and the prince is not the sole ruler
        
        a corrupted noble will corrupt the support of his subjects
- - - - complete devastation is the most certain way of taking hold of a state: a prince who does not destroy placers himself in the position to be destroyed.
    - - Occupying: killing the ruling family (see ch 3)
      - the subjects will be used to being ruled by a new ruler since the previous ruler have been destroyed and need someone to rule over them
- - - - This is due to meeting the challenge of establishing a new order
        
        A prince who uses his prowess will succeed by forcing the issue, even through force -- he will become strong, secure, and respected.
        
        A prince who uses fortune (persuasion) to introduce a new order will be unable to succeed against fierce opposition.
- - - - Agathocles proved competent in his reign and only used cruelty in the first sense to his ascension.
        
        Therefore, when a prince wants to seize a principalitiy, he must measure the amount of cruelty to engage in, and then strike once and never engage in atrocities again.
- - - - Common people
        
        want to avoid opression by the nobles
        
        This can lead to either 1) a principality, 2) a free city, or 3) anarchy
        
        Nobles
        
        upon realizing they cannot dominate people, they will instate their own prince.
        
        a prince instated by nobles will have more difficulty maintaining power as nobles can undermine his position easily, as equals.
        
        Common people
        
        if they realize they cannot be under the domination of the nobles, they will make one of the people a prince for protection
        
        a prince with the support of his people will have more absolute power and only risk desertion
        
        to keep the people's support, the prince should be benevolent to them. therefore, cruelty should only be exercised during establishment of power.
      - Nobles
        
        naturally want to oppress common people
- - - - looking at how the Church obtained its power: though papal power was fairly weak during the time of pope vs city states, Popes Alexander VI and Julius II used armed forces to weaken other factions
        
        through those armed forces, they accumulated wealth to strengthen Church's position and gain temporal (i.e. material) power
    - - 1) they do not need to be defended
      - 2) the people require no administration
      - 3) YET they are always secure and happy
- - - - indicated by the presence of a good army itself
    - - three type of armies
        
        prince's own troops
        
        mercenary troops
        
        Machiavelli sees them as useless as dangerous:
        
        mercanaries are, quote, "disunited, undisciplined, ambitious, and faithless" since their only motivation is monetary
        
        therefore, it is prefered the prince commanded his own army
        
        Historically, dependence on mercenary troops were disastrous for Italy: the mercenaries were more ineterested in gaining prestige than accomplishing military objectives, leading to many staged battles.
        
        auxiliary troops
        
        Chapter 13 (XIII): Concerning Auxiliary, Mixed, and Native Forces
        
        continuing from chapter 12
        
        Machiavelli states armies borrowed from another powerful state (auxiliaries) are as useless
        
        the prince is in a no-win situation: if the auxiliaries fail, he has no defense. if the auxiliaries win, the victory is owed to some other ruler
        
        the auxiliaries are also loyal to another ruler, becoming a more dangerous threat than mercenaries
- - - - 1) no reason for the armed man to obey the unarmed man
      - 2) no reason for unarmed man to trust armed man
      - 3) the armed man will feel contempt for the unarmed man, thus making cooperation impossible
- - - - Having characteristics deemed as "bad" is sometimes necessary to safeguard the state -- the prince's prime goal.
- - - - therefore, a prince must become the master of deception: acting like a lion to recognize traps and acting like a fox to frighten off wolves.
      - however, a prince cannot outwardly show his cunningness. he should present himself as compassionate and trustworthy so that their subjects believes him to be virtuous. even if he needs to employ evil to achieve his goal, he will still be regarded as virtuous
- - - - prince should not put all his trust in a fortress and neglect the attitudes of the people as well
- - - - through grand display of reward and punishment
        
        gain reputation of having outstanding ability
    - - by allying with a strong ally, the prince avoids being neutral and getting treated as a weak coward or a doubtful friend
        
        if the ally wins, there is an obligation. if the ally loses, there is still protection given to the prince.
        
        should avoid allying with a power greater than his own, but sometimes it is unavoidable
        
        TAXING: should not unduly tax and allow prosperous commerce (touches on capitalism)
- - - - the prince should use this intellect to judge his ministers
        
        loyal ministers should be rewarded, disloyal ones punsished