Niccolo Machiavelli Advice

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Niccolo Machiavelli gives plentiful advice for gaining and keeping power as a price in the book The Prince. Throughout the reading he explains many points to Lorenzo de' Medici, on how to gain and keep power as a prince. Machiavelli says that in order to gain power a prince must win the approval of his subjects. Machiavelli mentions some ways on how to keep the power such as: keeping his subjects loyal, and try not to be careless, and a prince should also ask for advice when he sees necessary. Niccolo Machiavelli's advice on gaining power is to win the approval of his subjects. The prince must give his subjects a sense of security by doing all injuries he thinks should be done all at once, so not to seem repetitive at the action. Machiavelli states, "Therefore, it is to be noted that in seizing a state one ought to consider all the injuries he will be obligated to inflict and then process to inflict them all at once so as to avoid a frequent repetition of such acts. Thus he will be able to create a feeling of security among his subjects and, by benefiting them, win their approval." (pg. 42) I believe Machiavelli advices this so that a price won't seem so mean by not injuring people all the time just once in a while as needed. Making his subjects feel in a sense safe with him as a prince. One way Niccolo Machiavelli says to keep power as a price is that he shall keep his subjects loyal and united. Machiavelli states, "A prince, therefore, must be indifferent to the charge of cruelty if he is to keep his subjects loyal and united." (pg. 65) Machiavelli is saying that in order for a prince to keep his subjects loyal and united he must punish the ones who do wrong and not be afraid to be cruel. He also says that the princes who are too kind ate the ones whom his subjects lose their loyalty, and the prince allows it by not inflicting the punishment when needed. Machiavelli also feels that a prince should be rational and ask for advice when he needs it, but only if he chooses to do so. The prince shouldn't let anyone just give him advice when they want, he must ask for it. Machiavelli says, "A prince therefore, should always seek advice, but only when he, not someone else, chooses. Indeed, he
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