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In The Prince, Machiavelli discusses the importance of portraying virtues, but not necessarily practicing them. The English dictionary defines virtue as an act of moral goodness. On the contrary, the text defines it as a kind of personal strength and spirit that gives a Prince the power and faith to carry out his mission. The capturing and retaining of a principality are the main focus of the author. He warns of certain virtues that are often praised but ultimately lead to the destruction of a Prince.
Machiavelli believes that a virtue is the ability to gain an advantage through certain situations by the use of personal powers. In his remarks on the Princes who gained their states by virtue, he states, "one does not see that they had anything else from fortune then the opportunity" (pg. 48). Their virtue of spirit allowing them to capitalize. For example, Moses found the people of Israel enslaved and oppressed by the Egyptians and gave them a reason to follow him out of their life of servitude.
If a leader becomes a prince through the path of virtue, it only means that he has used his own personal excellence and strength to take advantage of the opportunity that appeared to him. Such virtuous Princes acquire their principality with difficulty but hold onto it easily. They hold it easily because they have the natural qualities of leadership and strength needed to hold onto a state. Machiavelli discusses many types of other Princes. He shows his disregard toward virtues with the approval of the tactics used by Cesar Borgia to acquire and govern land. Machiavelli stresses the importance of taking the necessary measures to ensure the security and success of a state.
These measures would include minimal amounts of force to obtain control. Machiavelli warns that a Prince who is too liberal with his subjects may run serious risks. He suggests that it is better, " to be held liberal, " (pg. 64) than to actually practice liberality. Even while using liberality properly, it will not often show many advantages. It is believed to better that a Prince be thought of as generous rather than miserly. However, if his generosity is done in secret, no one will know about it and he will be thought of as greedy.
If it is done openly, then the risk of going broke to maintain his reputation is inevitable. The effect of this action is relying on extorting more money from his subjects and result in being hated. For Machiavelli, it is best for a Prince to be thought of as stingy. The generosity of a Prince should only be shown to soldiers with the goods pillaged from an enemy city. Machiavelli seems to think that the portrayal of a powerful image is much more important than realities provided through it. He believes that a prince should use every trick he can to hold onto his power.
This includes breaking promises, threatening and punishing people, in order to make them fear him. When punishing the people, it is better to be severe than to be merciful. Severity through the death sentence affects only a few but deters crimes that may affect many. Machiavelli argues that the Prince should know how to be deceitful when it suits his purpose. When the Prince needs to be deceitful, he must, at all costs, act cautiously. Always exhibiting five particular virtues: mercy, honesty, humanness, faith and religion.
In regards to these virtues, Machiavelli states .".. by appearing to have them, they are useful, as it is to appear to be merciful, faithful, humane, honest, and religious... " (pg. 78). The Prince must maintain his status of virtuousness among the people while taking the necessary means to assure the security of his throne. Machiavelli's view of virtue is obviously very different from goodness in the moral sense of the word. For Machiavelli, a virtue is a quality that can serve him well in gaining power and running the state. Since most people admire liberality, faithfulness, and other virtues, the Prince's job is to appear to have those qualities.
What he actually is, and what Machiavelli thinks he ought to be, is something entirely different. In conclusion, Machiavelli sees virtue as the ability to gain and hold power by acting decisively and carefully at the same time. While Machiavelli does not fully understand the concept of being virtuous, he applauds the art of illusion. This art of impersonation is to be casted on the people of the state. Maintaining power must come at all measures carefully plotted. The lessons that Machiavelli offers to princes are lessons in critical thinking.
Rulers must learn how to make distinctions, how to consider alternative courses of action and evaluate their consequences, and how to asses critically conflicting advice from varying sources. If they are to preserve and maintain their states, the need to know how to apply general information about human nature to particular circumstances that will be encountered through the road to successful leadership. Bibliography:
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