Niccolò Machiavelli.
Probably one of the most highly acclaimed philosophers
and political theorists of all time.
Also, one of my greatest influences
and a figure that has been referenced, quoted, and misunderstood like few.
But before I initiate my attempt to scrutinize Machiavelli and his philosophy,
I want to ask you a question.
When somebody mentions the name Machiavelli,
or the terms Machiavellian and Machiavellianism,
what is the first thing that comes to your mind?
I assume that you think of words like dark triad, duplicity, and manipulation.
Or in a broader context the ability to gain power
through deception, insincerity, and abuse of power.
Actually, those are all wrong.
They do play a role in the way Machiavelli expressed his political theories,
but they all fail to paint an accurate picture of the man.
If there is a word that could accurately describe Machiavelli and his ideas,
it is this: Pragmatism.
He was probably the first political theorist
that escaped the delusion of idealism
and honestly proposed pragmatic solutions and interpretations of government.
Apparently, his views were dramatically influenced by the time he lived in
and his personal experiences,
oftentimes exceeding the threshold of political correctness
and blurring the lines between morally right and morally wrong.
Nonetheless, they constitute a powerful compendium of knowledge
that is shaping the interpretation of power and influence till this very day.
Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli
was born in 1469 in Florence, Italy.
His family was descended from the old rulers of Tuscany
and they have produced many members
that were part of the government of the time.
Back then, Italy consisted of many city-states
that were usually ruled by different Houses.
Florence was among the largest city-states in Europe
and was considered one of the wealthiest and most successful.
Part of this success should be attributed to the “House of Medici”
which was one of the strongest families of the time.
The Medici controlled the Medici bank
– then Europe’s largest bank –
and this allowed them to expand their influence and strategic alliances.
In 1494, after a popular revolt,
the Medici were expulsed from power and Florence was restored to a republic.
It was then that Machiavelli received his first government role
as the person responsible for the production
of official Florentine government documents.
Machiavelli was part of a government that wanted to liberate Florence
from the Medici reign, but that was far from easy.
The Medici had a strong alliance with the Pope
and their recapture of Florence was a matter of time.
Machiavelli’s career was quite turbulent and ended sadly in 1512
when he was deprived of office after the Medici won a critical battle
that helped them emerge to power once again.
In 1513, the Medici accused Machiavelli of conspiracy against them
and had him imprisoned and tortured.
After denying involvement, he was released
and decided to retire to his estate at Sant’Andrea in Percussina
in order to devote himself to studying and writing.
That’s when he completed his seminal works “The Prince” and “Discourses”
and that’s when he gained his reputation
as a great political theorist and philosopher.
When Machiavelli turned to the question of whether it was better
for a prince to be loved or feared
he stated that while it would be wonderful for a leader to be both,
he should eventually side with fear.
Machiavelli suggests that human nature is somewhat ungrateful,
fickle and dissembling.
The prince (or any person in power)
is like the authority figure that substitutes the parent figure
when a person enters adulthood.
People in power will always have a huge responsibility towards their followers.
This responsibility creates a form of dependency
that urges people to keep craving more
and hold the prince accountable for most of their needs.
Such an intense interplay
damages most of the ability to cultivate self-reliance
and people, instead of appreciating the prince’s offerings,
they become ungrateful and keep asking for more.
Therefore, a prince needs to resemble characteristics
that don’t allow others to question his authority.
Such a characteristic is fear.
Fear, although it still creates a dependency
between the ruler and the people,
it successfully prevents unwanted behaviors
stemming from lack of appreciation.
The trick here is to ensure that fear doesn’t turn into hatred.
Intense, cruel and unjustified demonstrations of fear
can never keep people engaged.
Fear needs to be subtly induced in a way that people can justify it.
Events of punishment should be subject to convincing reasoning,
for people will side with the most persuasive argument.
In Chapter 15 of “The Prince,” Machiavelli states the following:
“Men have imagined republics and principalities
that never really existed at all.
Yet the way men live is so far removed from the way they ought to live
that anyone who abandons what is for what should be
pursues his downfall rather than his preservation;
for a man who strives after goodness
in all his acts is sure to come to ruin,
since there are so many men who are not good.”
In this passage, Machiavelli exudes the totality of his pragmatic ideals.
He exposes the reality of human nature
and explains that being constantly nice will get you nowhere
because most people are not that nice.
In short, he tries to explain that
a prince should destroy the delusion that acting good will always favor him,
but at the same time create the illusion that he is actually good,
for people respect goodness.
In general, some personal characteristics
will earn people praise, others condemnation.
Courage, compassion, faith, craftiness, and generosity
number among the qualities that receive praise.
Cowardice, cruelty, stubbornness, and miserliness
are usually met with condemnation.
Ideally, a prince would possess all the qualities deemed “good” by others.
But this expectation is unrealistic.
A prince’s first job is to safeguard the state,
and alas, harboring “bad” characteristics is sometimes necessary for this end.
The relationship between the prince and the people is quite a turbulent one.
People demand actions, but at the same time,
they are not ready to react maturely to difficult situations.
In order to understand the impact this dynamic has in the relationship,
we need to work with an analogy.
Think of a difficult romantic relationship you had.
After the honeymoon face, reality hits you hard
and most times one of the parties will let their mask of sanity slip.
False expectations, neurotic reactions, unmet needs,
and increased familiarity will lead to friction
and an inability to maintain a stable connection.
Despite your most courageous attempts to be honest,
your partner keeps reacting negatively to news that don’t suit their liking.
Your ability to communicate honest views decreases with time
and inevitably you become dishonest in order to avoid conflict.
In a romantic relationship, usually you have the luxury to leave,
but a prince doesn’t wish to abandon his position.
He decides to embrace dishonesty
as the most effective weapon to deal with lack of conflict.
People will almost always favor a delusional hope to a harsh truth.
In Chapters 6-9 of “The Prince,”
Machiavelli explains what a prince needs to do
after he acquires his position depending on the way he ascended to power.
The overarching theme of this idea is that
loyalty needs to be constantly scrutinized
and bought and resistance to be crushed.
When it comes to loyalty, the people who decide to be on the prince’s side
will do so because they can benefit from him and not because they like him.
They are bound to the prince
and their loyalty is a matter of character and benefits.
The prince needs to ensure
that the rapacious and overly ambitious shouldn’t be trusted
and that the weak-spirited and grateful
should be sought after and constantly praised.
That is a subtle but great detail to identify.
Overly ambitious people can’t stay loyal for long.
They are also thirsty for power
and eventually will try and sabotage those above them.
In contrast, people who are weak-spirited
will always savor their relationship with a prince
because it allows them to feel safe and that they belong to his tribe.
When it comes to resistance Machiavelli recognizes resistance
as an omnipresent force.
That is because people are naturally resistant to change and reform.
Especially people who benefited from the old order will resist fiercely.
Princes who keep the old order around
will inevitably need to keep fighting them
and that suggests a waste of time, resources, and trust.
Ergo, people who resist,
need to be crushed on a whim and fast
so that the prince can focus on reassuring the followers
of the strength of the new order and the benefits that will follow.
In Chapter 25, Machiavelli tries to conclude his ideas
with the main strategy to be followed by countries and individuals
in order to increase their chances of success.
Free will vs determinism has always been a hot topic among thinkers.
Machiavelli’s stance on the matter is again very pragmatic.
According to him, success is the point where preparation meets opportunity.
A person cannot control the world,
but he can definitely control most of his actions.
Through foresight,
people can shield themselves against misfortune and self-sabotage.
Moreover, because time changes,
a prince needs to adapt and embrace malleable characteristics.
On the whole, impetuosity surpasses caution
and fortune favors energetic youth over cautious age.
Machiavellian tactics and strategies might come across
as quite caustic and even dangerous for some.
For me, his works are invariably imbued with a sense of awe
and they constitute a combustible body of knowledge.
Actually, “The Prince” is suggested
in most political science programs around the world as a must-read.
This is not by accident.
Those principles have been espoused and applied
by the most successful political figures of our past and our present.
Knowing and understanding those principles
can be a crucial step forwards in redressing the balance within ourselves
and eventually within our political system.
Hi everyone,
Today’s video was something I was really looking forward to creating.
And that’s not only because Machiavelli is one of the thinkers
that have influenced my worldview,
but also because I wanted to shed some light on some misconceptions
that tend to be associated with him and his philosophy.
Additionally, in our current epoch
where politics are not considered anymore this elusive concept
that seems so far-fetched and abstract,
but more like a skill with certain mechanics
that can be construed and cultivated,
it is our duty to look into its mechanics
in order to understand the extent to which we can influence it
and as a result improve and evolve our political system.
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Thanks again for watching. Take care.