Machiavelli's The Prince Analysis

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In this paper, I will argue that a ruler must be beast-like. Rulers should have the awareness and vigilance of a fox and must instil fear and respect like a lion. Machiavelli is correct when he suggests ethics and politics should be two different things even if some political action are immoral. Machiavelli’s philosophy of having ethics separated from politics is still prevalent in politics today. Rulers, heads of state and/or heads of government must be beast-like to show dominance and should break their word when necessary to protect and preserve the state. The natural behavior of a fox is vigilant and strategic. There are three hypotheses to explain the vigilant behavior of a fox. The predator-vigilance hypothesis means increasing vigilance …show more content…
Although citizens know politicians lie, they rather not admit to that fact. In politics, lying is sometimes acceptable for the best interests of the people. In Machiavelli’s The Prince, it states that the rules of ethics in real life have to be completely altered in the world of politics. Machiavelli embraces the fact that a ruler must be a deceiver. The way politicians get away with deceiving the public is by telling them what they want to hear. The classic example being more social services and no new taxes. In general, people prefer to be told a “fluffy” lie than a hard truth. Machiavelli argues that because leaders of states are responsible for themselves and the citizens of that state, it is a ruler’s obligation to become a convincing liar. This is another method to control the public. Machiavelli stresses that a ruler should only be deceptive when necessary (Pasquerella, 2-4). Machiavelli’s point in The prince is that the ends justify the means. Using evil for moral goods is a positive thing. It is not reasonable to expect ethical policies from governments because they will push their agenda by any means. A clear example is the exploitation of people from overseas from across borders and even from its own country for the advancement of the economy of the United States. For Capitalism to succeed, a lot of people need to be stepped
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