Machiavelli s The Power Of Fear Essay - 2150 Words

Machiavelli’s: The power of fear All animals experience fear - an overwhelmingly disturbing force of the mind that has the power to sway, distort and rupture the conventions of the psyche. Any animal incapable of fear would have been hard pressed to survive, regardless of its size, speed, or other attributes. Fear alerts us to dangers that threaten our well-being and sometimes our very lives. Sensing fear, we respond by running away, by hiding, or by preparing to ward off the danger. The concept of fear in political terms was first brought into light by Niccolà ² di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, who was an Italian Renaissance historian, politician, diplomat, philosopher, humanist, and writer. He has often been called the founder of modern political science. He was for many years a senior official in the Florentine Republic, with responsibilities in diplomatic and military affairs. He also wrote comedies, carnival songs, and poetry. He wrote his most renowned work The Prince (Il Principe) in 1513 during the turbulent d ays of the Renaissance Medici’s, as a set of pragmatic instructions to a new prince on how to gain and retain power. The originality of his ideas has been challenged and shown to go back at least to the Athenians, yet the influence of Machiavelli s words still rings around the world. The term â€Å"Machiavellianism† [1] comes from him which is the employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct. Machiavelli separates public and private morality.Show MoreRelatedNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince1719 Words   |  7 PagesMachiavelli’s, The Prince, a book written by Niccolà ² Machiavelli, is a read that most people wouldn’t prefer to read as a first option but in defense to Niccolo, it brings out many themes such as Goodwill and Hatred, Free will, and Human Nature. â€Å"It is known from his personal correspondence that The Prince was written during 1513, the year after the Medici took control of Florence, and a few months after Machiavelli s arrest, torture, and banishment by the Medici regime† (Bio.com). The novel wasRead More The Use of Immorality in Order to Achieve Popular Rule Essay1470 Words   |  6 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Throughout The Prince and The Discourses of Livy, Niccolo Machiavelli demonst rates multiple theories and advocacies as to why popular rule is important to the success of a state. Popular rule is a term that will be used to define an indirect way to govern the people of a state. In order to rule the masses, a leader must please the people or revolts will occur, causing mayhem and a lack of stability in oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s state. During both written works, Machiavelli stresses the importance of obedience and order neededRead MoreKant And The Prince Niccolo Di Bernardo Dei Machiavelli978 Words   |  4 Pagesphilosophers Immanuel Kant and The Prince Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (1469-1527?) Manifest their theories on the portrayal of society and how discipline and authority regulate us. Kant expresses his theory in his â€Å"What is Enlightenment?† (1784) Essay where he describes the immaturity of men is what makes authority able to control us and in contrast, Machiavelli deliberately addresses how to be a leader with the power of fear and tr uth. Although both appear in completely different sentimentsRead MoreThe Human Nature Of The Prince, Thomas Hobbes And James Madison1447 Words   |  6 PagesActions, whether they are good or bad, also derive from our most inner thoughts. The question now is what type of reasoning is natural to us all? This human nature is a topic explored by thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes in Leviathan, Niccollà ² Machiavelli in The Prince, Thomas Hobbes and James Madison in The Essential Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers. Human nature is the force that pushes an individual to his or her actions. Political theory, as a result, is shaped around this nature for theRead MoreThe Ideal Ruler Of Kant s Ruler1070 Words   |  5 PagesIn 1516, Niccolà ² Machiavelli attempted to answer this question in his work The Prince(Machiavelli 8). Centuries later a different view of an ideal ruler was proposed by an Enlightenment writer, Immanuel Kant. Although Niccolà ² Machiavelli and Immanuel Kant lived 2 50 years apart, both views have advantages and disadvantages in leading a country, Kant s ruler is a early model of a democratic ruler while Machiavelli s ruler was an ideal model for a absolute monarch. Immanuel Kant s view of an idealRead MoreIs Macbeth a machiavellian character?1167 Words   |  5 Pagesabout his own ruin than his preservation.(Machiavelli 12) This is a quote from Machiavelli s The Prince. This is only one belief of Machiavelli, which, many great leaders have been known to use. Have you ever thought about a leader that possessed these qualities that was from a play? Shakespeare s character Macbeth represents the Machiavellian idea that a ruler should appear well in public, be smart and strong, and do what is necessary to hold onto power. Shakespeare used imagery, and metaphorsRead More Analysis of Mores The Prince and Utopia Essay1545 Words   |  7 Pageswith Raphael Nonsenso and his travels to Utopia. Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy in 1469 to a middleclass family. The time in which Machiavelli lived Italy as a country was not united but divide and split into little providences and republics. He latter became responsible for the Florentine militia against the Medici government and rule. When the Medici power reclaimed Florence Machiavelli was arrested for conspiracy he was tortured and then banished from FlorenceRead MoreEssay about Machiavellian Concepts on the Use of Fear 1059 Words   |  5 Pageshe discussed the use of fear as a political tool to maintain the state. He argued that fear when properly directed could generate loyalty and bolster the support of the government. He went on to write that fear was only powerful when wielded with care and when abused could quickly become counterproductive and result in being hated by the people. Fear was potent because it was the prince’s creation. Unlike love that is given to the prince and can easily be t aken away, fear is the prince’s tool andRead MoreMachiavelli s Principles Of Princedom1449 Words   |  6 PagesMachiavelli’s Principles of Princedom When reading The Prince by Niccolà ³ Machiavelli, one will find a vast list of ways a prince should and should not act/rule. Many of the references Machiavelli makes, expands from Europe to Egypt. The propositions in this book go back to the fifteenth century and early sixteenth century. Starting with who Machiavelli is, the purpose of this paper is to explain some of his philosophies on how an ideal prince rules and acts, along with the conditions of his timeRead MoreConnections Between Hitler And The Prince1307 Words   |  6 PagesConnections between Hitler and The Prince Hitler said, â€Å"Germany will either be a world power or will not be at all† (â€Å"Adolf Hitler Quote†). Adolph Hitler became the leader of the German Nazi party in 1933. His leadership was both loved and despised. He controlled the Nazi party for more than a decade (â€Å"Adolph Hitler†). Considering the length of Hitler’s reign, he must have had leadership qualities that people found admirable or they feared him so greatly that no one would attempt to overthrow