Questions on Machiavelli

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.

Remirro da Orca was promoted governor of Romagna by the duke.  Ramiro was chosen because “the country was full of robbery, quarrels, and every kind of violence,” (Machiavelli, VII).  The duke gave the most power to Remirro, “a swift and cruel man,” (Machiavelli, VII).  Remirro was able to restore peace and unity among the people throughout the entire country of Romagna in a very short amount of time.  The duke later had Remirro executed because he did not believe that one man should have so much power.  Remirro da Orca would be most successful as the manager of a chain store because he had great leadership skills as governor, but he would not have been able to survive as the ruler of something much larger than Romagna.  The duke realized that Remirro would soon become a source of hate for the people, and he decided to kill him.  Remirro had no type of protection built around him that could have prevented this from happening.  The duke had secured himself from any dangers around him by killing Remirro who could have been a threat to him.  It would have been wise for Remirro to protect himself in such a way.

Oliverotto da Fermo was brought up by his uncle Giovanni Fogliani because he was orphaned as a child.  In his youth, Oliverotto was trained to fight so that he might gain a high military position when he was older.  “He wrote to Giovanni Fogliani that, having been away from home for many years, he wished to visit him and his city,” (Machiavelli, VIII).  He planned an elaborate gathering and banquet for his homecoming.  Giovanni and the chiefs of Fermo were at the banquet, and Oliverotto began to talk about certain political matters.  Oliverotto chose to move the meeting into a more private room.  “No sooner were they seated than soldiers issued from secret places and slaughtered Giovanni and the rest,” (Machiavelli, VIII).  Oliverotto immediately left the room and took control of the chief magistrate in the palace.  Oliverotto da Fermo would be most successful as a member of the mafia because he used violence and murder to rise to the top.  He would never have become prince based on the way people felt about him or his actual strength and talent in battle.  In the mafia there are constantly people who are set up to kill other people, and plots to do whatever it takes to gain money and power.  These are exactly the kind of things Oliverotto did to gain power and money although he did not remain in power for long.

Cesare Borgia was the son of Pope Alexander VI, and he went by the name of Duke Valentino.  Cesare became duke of Romagna through the good fortune of his father, who as the pope had gained tremendous power.  “He had taken every measure and done all that ought to be done by a wise and able man to fix firmly his roots in the states which the arms and fortunes of others had bestowed on him,” (Machiavelli, VII).  Cesare began by entering Romagna and capturing the French soldiers.  He led the French soldiers for awhile, but he decided that they were not reliable to him.  “He turned to mercenaries, discerning less danger in them,” (Machiavelli, XIII).  Cesare Borgia would be most successful as the creator of an international conglomerate because he controlled everything that went on around him.  He was in complete control of the soldiers he would lead and the allies he would have.  If he felt his soldiers were not being faithful, he would just leave them and find some new people.  Cesare did this many times and that is what brought him to the top.  The people saw that he was in complete control of his forces and he was highly esteemed by them.  Cesare Borgia would also be the most successful in business today out of these three people.  “Cesare is acclaimed by some critics as the “hero” of “The Prince,” (Introduction).  Cesare would be the most successful because he was the master of his own destiny, whereas Oliverotto and Remirro relied on others to bring them to the top.  Cesare was constantly thinking strategically about what he could do to protect himself and bring him to higher power; this is what raises him above the rest.

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

A prince’s greatest ally is the people.  A citizen of society will not become prince through violence or wickedness; he will become prince through the favor of his fellow citizens and the people.  Every city is made up of two types of citizens: nobles and common citizens.  The power to form a principality lies with the people.  A prince who is created by the people will be the prime ruler.  The people are very easy to satisfy because they “desire not to be oppressed,” (Machiavelli, IX).  The only thing a prince created by the people must do is maintain the friendship with the people, which is a very easy thing to do.  “Because men, when they receive goods from him of whom they were expecting evil, are bound more closely to their benefactor; thus the people quickly become more devoted to him,” (Machiavelli, IX).

When a prince conveys his impression of himself he is highly esteemed.  If “it is well known that he is an excellent man,” (Machiavelli, XIX) he is revered by his people.  Machiavelli said that if a prince builds a fortress it may protect him from foreigners, but it will not protect the prince form the citizens if they rebel.  “He ought to entertain the people with festivals and spectacles at convenient seasons of the year,” (Machiavelli, XXII).  The citizens are the people that the prince needs to strive to please because they are the ones who put the prince in power to begin with.  The people can easily remove the prince from power if they become displeased with the things the prince are doing.

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

            Generosity is a quality that is admired by many people.  A prince who does not seem generous will be perceived by the people as frugal, but he will eventually gain the view of being generous.  Being perceived as frugal is not a bad thing for a prince; this is because the prince’s frugalness will eventually lead to his generosity.  He will have saved up his funds rather than spending them all at once on trying to seem generous from the start.  “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,” (Machiavelli, XVI).

            Generosity is a good thing in the case of Pope Julius II because he used generosity to get into the papacy.  “Caesar obtained empire by being liberal,” (Machiavelli, XVI).  A prince should not neglect any chance to be generous.  Liberality is necessary for princes who support their army with pillaging because otherwise the soldiers would not follow him.  Cyrus, Caesar, and Alexander were ready givers of “that which is neither yours nor your subjects’” (Machiavelli, XVI) because it “does not take away your reputation if you squander that of others, but adds to it; it is only squandering your own that injures you,” (Machiavelli, XVI).  Generosity is a good thing for a prince whenever is building up your reputation rather than damaging it.  Generosity can be used to gain the respect of citizens, and to build up the legacy of a prince.

4. Use The Beatitudes to argue against Machiavelli.

            The Beatitudes and the things that Machiavelli says in The Prince are very similar in the sense that they provide guidelines on how people or princes should live and lead their life.  The Beatitudes and the sayings of Machiavelli are also very contradictory in the way they guide the people.  The Beatitudes guide people only in the way of how to live a moral life and be a good person.  The Prince guides princes in the ways being a successful and reputable leader.  People should strive to follow the teachings of the Beatitudes, and should not follow the teachings of Machiavelli.  Machiavelli constantly speaks about the importance of doing whatever it takes to become successful; even if it comes to doing things that hurt others.  Machiavelli says in Chapter XVI, “It is wiser to have a reputation for meanness.”  This directly goes against the Beatitude which states, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”  Machiavelli is encouraging princes to show negativity and meanness towards the citizens which they are ruling.

            Machiavelli also largely talks about how war should be the most important thing for a prince to study.  In the Beatitudes it says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”  Machiavelli is constantly advising princes throughout the book to cause war rather than avoid it or put an end to it.  Machiavelli never encourages the princes to make peace or have a reputation for goodness.  Rather, he encourages princes to be the opposite of peaceful and good.  The Beatitudes also state, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy,” but throughout The Prince Machiavelli is telling princes to do whatever they can to get to the top, take part in and cause wars, and have a reputation for meanness.  The things that Machiavelli tells the princes to practice are going against what God says in the Beatitudes, and therefore, cannot actually be the right things to do.

5. Use Machiavelli to argue against The Beatitudes.

            The things that Machiavelli says in The Prince are very contradictory to the things that are stated in the Beatitudes; although, they both create guidelines on how princes or people should live and lead their lives.  The Prince focuses on how a prince should carry himself and lead his people.  The Beatitudes guide people through their moral life and how to do the right thing.  People should follow the teachings of Machiavelli in The Prince rather than those in the Beatitudes because Machiavelli can guide you in reaching success and power.  In a letter to his son he writes, “If you wish to please me, and to bring success and honour to yourself, do right and study, because others will help you if you help yourself,” (Introduction).  Machiavelli is telling his son to always be an honorable person if he wants to bring success to himself.  Machiavelli talks a lot about gaining not only power, but also glory.  “Yet it cannot be called talent to slay fellow-citizens, to deceive friends, to be without faith, without mercy, without religion; such methods may gain empire, but not glory,” (Machiavelli, VIII).

            Machiavelli also talked a lot about how giving too much mercy can actually cause lots of problems in a society.  The Beatitudes state, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy,” but Machiavelli contradicts this saying, “He will be more merciful than those who, through too much mercy, allow disorders to arise,” (Machiavelli, XVII).  If a prince shows too much mercy to his people he could be causing them to get away with dangerous things such as robbery or murder.  Sometimes this can apply to starting a war or murdering someone that will end up causing more trouble if they are not stopped.  The Beatitudes state, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God,” but sometimes may have to do something to protect his country that is not considered to be pure in heart.  The Beatitudes are constantly telling people to be peacemakers and to be merciful, but these things will hurt a prince more than help a prince.  A prince needs to do what is best for his country, and what will keep the citizens of his country safe.


Works Cited
"The Beatitudes." New International Version of the Bible. Matthew 5:3-12.
Nicolo Machiavelli, Initials. (1513). The Prince. Retrieved from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/machiavelli-prince.html