The magnificent work of the Prince of Machiavelli
It is an impressive work which was written by Nicolás Machiavelli, philosopher, writer and Italian political diplomat of the Renaissance era, his work addressed to Lorenzo de Médici also known as the magnificent, Machiavelli explains how to act and what to do to unify Italy and take it outof the crisis in 1513.A crisis that forgive in all the so -called Renaissance.
Nicolás Machiavelo was imprisoned in San Casciano, since they weighed on himself accusations of conspiring against the Medici, his work would be released until 1531 in Rome, the book was an answer to said false accusation.
The book begins talking about the way in which the prince should behave to continue in power and not lose the State, the work itself trafficking in military policy, especially strategy in which a ruler can with an example that the sameMachiavelli gives, continue in power and not make the same mistakes made by the ancient rulers of these stories, which are treated as clear examples and concise of how one must continue in power in the different types of problems that that contracts.
Machiavelli begins with his work with the theme of the various classes of principalities and the way of acquiring them in which he explains how many states and how many dominations are still a sovereign authority about men, he gives an example to Alfonso V, king of Aragon which isHe proclaim King of Naples.
- Hereditary principalities
They explain normality policies instead of radical changes that transform the life and customs of the population, the mixed that are attached to an old principality, require different ways and political circumstances for their acquisition, also explains the difficulty of acquiring a new principality andwarns of being stronger than the previous.
- Of the mixed principalities
considers that there are two ways to govern a principality according to the political circumstances which are;Having absolute power or administering it together with a group of barons of own nobility which should not be acquired by the grace of the prince, the first option for Machiavelli would be the best since in the second one it must often fight with internal rebellions of power.
Why, occupied the kingdom of Darío by Alejandro, he did not rebel against his successors after his death
Here Machiavelli emphasizes three laws and which were;The first option was to destroy the State, the second settle in, and the third and last which was to maintain the previous laws and customs, but forcing it to pay taxes and be governed by a loyal group to the prince.
However, it warns that this type of state has a great sense of freedom, so the only safe option that the Prince has to maintain power is to destroy and disperse the population and re -create one again.
- About the acquisition of principalities with their own or others
For Machiavelli there are only 2 ways to get a principality which would be with their own weapons and virtue, or with a weapon and fortune of others.
The first case, although more difficult to achieve, are easier to maintain since it was acquired by their own power, the second explains that they are difficult to maintain since they were acquired by the fortune and weapons of others.
- Of those who arrived in princes through evil
Machiavelli warns about the use of cruelty and how it is applied and must be used at the beginning of the State, thus giving the subjects benefits little by little.
Since the poorly used cruelty is when all are not committed to a beginning, which leads to continue committing them all the time, so you end up attracting the fury of the people and the principality is taken to failure.
- Of the Civil Principality
It is obtained with the favor of citizens, powerful or people, for him I require political cunning, mainly to keep the people calm and in peace.
- Of ecclesiastical principalities
The ecclesiastical state is quite difficult to acquire initially, however it is very easy to maintain, since it relies on the laws of religion.
- Of the different kinds of militia and mercenary soldiers
Machiavelli explains how the forces of the different principalities must be measures, the main thing, it is whether the prince is able to fend for himself.
Having capable and loyal men, as well as money and an adequate army qualify it as capable of such work, and if it does not possess any of these elements, it must take refuge behind its walls and resist enemy attacks.
- Of auxiliary, mixed and mercenary soldiers
It does not consider a good option to have auxiliary soldiers, since these belong to another prince in which they have their loyalty, and says that it would be best to have their own army, that only the prince owes fidelity.
- Of Prince’s obligations regarding the art of war
Machiavelli emphasizes that the prince takes care of the war, which is a fundamental duty of the State, which should not be abandoned in peace times, since a prince who does not have skills in the art of war will be a useless prince and hispeople will despise him.
Of the things for which men, and especially princes, are praised or censored
Machiavelli gives his opinion on how the prince must conduct himself based on the circumstances and consequences of his rational and irrational actions and decisions.
It suggests guiding itself by reality instead of pursuing unreal and fantasy utopias, since the important thing is to keep the State even before morality.
- Of liberality and misery
Here Machiavelli makes a comparison about the convenience, since it is usually taken for a good and in the long run.
However, if you choose the greed, be it will be able to save taxes to the people, helping them at decisive moments to finance companies and win wars, thus ended up being loved by the entire town.
- Of clemency and severity, and if it is more loved than feared
Compassion can be forced to lead to cruelty, cruelty on the other hand, it considers it even more effective than compassion since when it is well administered, with the same logic as evil, using it at first saves cruelty in the future,And yes it is compassionate at first, there is a high probability that you have to commit more cruelty to conserve the State.
Machiavelo advises to be feared and loved at the same time, but what if you have to choose it is better to be feared, since the people can always forget love, but never fear, and thus the prince has less chance of being overthrown.
- How should the princes save the promised faith
Machiavelli as the way of conducting in state affairs, advises to have strength and caution all the time, to give an example uses the allegory of the lion and the fox, in which the lion does not know how to avoid the traps, and theZorro does not know how to defend himself from the wolves, therefore, the prince has to be able to avoid traps, such as fox and terrorize the wolves like the lion.
- The prince should avoid being hated and despised
Warns that it should be avoided to be despised and hated, because these are the defects that lead to the people, noble or soldiers to go against their own prince.
If the strengths and many other things that the princes do are useful or harmful
Machiavelli also says about the usefulness of assembling or disarming the subjects and about the effective.
- How to conduct a prince to acquire consideration
Explain how a prince owes to be estimated and admired by all, the nobles and the army. Advises to manage large companies, properly manage the inter policy and carry out punishments and awards to serve the subjects.
- Of the ministers or secretaries of the princes
The criteria that a prince must follow to choose their secretaries or ministers, which will be the body of assistants and administrators closest to him, so they have to be the most faithful.
He recommends fleeing to flatterers, since these do not tell the truth and only want the prince’s grace.
Domain that exercises fortune in human things, and how to resist when it is adverse.
Machiavelli dedicates a chapter to explain the power of fortune, he affirms that he should not be left in the hands of this since he must be prepared to face the adversities the prince.
- Exhortation to free Italy from the barbarians
In the last chapters Machiavelli makes a comparison in the causes which the princes of Italy lost their states and lists among them, they lacked bad reputation with the people, bad armies, as well as lack of forecast of the future and the great decision to act.
- He closes his work asking Prince Lorenzo Médici from leading Italy and freeing her from the barbarians.
In this work we can appreciate the strong concern of Nicolás Machiavelli, since his strong nationalism is very afraid, losing old Italy with the arrival of new ideals and foreign to his land, seeing how everything he thought he wasSalvation from his people in Lorenzo Médici, the lack of a leader who took out all the political problems to the country, in his book I could see that just as Dante Alighieri another great Italian philosopher writer from his great work the divine comedy, the country was sufferingMany political and religious changes, it is noted as in Florence, Italy were for hundreds of years without endless fights between different states and political ideals, thus carrying a great concern that is reflected in the works of these great Italian philosophers.
The Italian Renaissance began an era of great achievements and cultural changes in Italy, which constitute the transition of the medievo and what we know today as modern Europe.
It is a book that teaches us how society works in political and social matters together, you learn that power has different ways of carrying out and how not to lose it easily, teaches how to behave with the people, treat your enemies and future enemiesand above all to know how to use force when it is even necessary knowing that the cruel and atrocious use of it is a rational option.
All philosophers used morals as a point to follow in their great works and justice above all, Nicolás Machiavelli goes through a more political philosophy, as well as immoral, so it is characterized among many philosophers of that age.
The philosophy of Nicolás Machiavelli can be seen as a more real philosophy in a certain way since it deals with the issues in a more real and fast scenario, only with truth having examples of the ancient states that already exist only in history but that serve us to use themas a guide when acting.
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