Please read Chapters 15-19 of Machiavelli's The Prince (either pp. 84-104 of the Signet edition or at the link below).Add a comment or two here giving your impressions of Machiavelli. Try to say something that would help another students trying to prepare on essay on Renaissance achievements.
http://www.fordham.edu/HALSALL/basis/machiavelli-prince.html
15 comments:
Upon this a question arises: whether it be better to be loved than feared or feared than loved?
This statement really interguies me not only because we discussed it in class but also because it is a question to fully think about. Is it better to be feared thank loved? You want people to be able to respect you and be noble to you but at the same time you want them to fear you in one way in order to have that respect that you desire. I think that you have to have both... you need love to be able to have people like you and resepct you but on the other hand you need fear in order for people to "not step out of line". So what ever way you see it Machiavelli brings about interesting ideas that can be either side of the spectrum.
Jillaine Pfeifle 11:00 am
Chapter 15 talks about the concern of either blaming or praising men. Such as how different men are cruel or compassionate, either faithful or not, cowardly or effeminate, and so on. The perfect human would have all of the good qualities and would be a very good politican but it is impossible for a human being to be perfect. Some people crumble to bribes or are power hungry. This is a case in politics today, which some just think about themselves. So it will be found that something which looks like virtue would ruin him but something which looks like vice could bring him protection and riches.
I believe the best thing is to try to treat others better than treat yourself, lend out a helping hand and see where that gets you.
Jordan Zenk
MWF 11:00 a.m.
In chapter 18,Machiavelli talks about in what way princes must keep faith. He says that a key element to be a great prince is astuteness. He states that sometimes the law doesn't work, so a prince must know how to rule his country by using the methods of both law and force--he must know well to use man and beast.
when acting as a beast,a prince must know well how to imitate the fox and the lion, which means he must as brave and cruel as a lion when fighting while he can recognize traps as a fox. Machiavelli says that men are incline to betray, so the ability to aware of traps will lead to sucess of a ruler.
Besides, he also holds the idea that it is important for a prince to pretend that he has all good qualities, for people always look the appreances and the issue of the event. It is possible to have all good qualities, but it is possible to pretend having them. All of Machiavelli's suggest are very useful and intellective. He tell us that being a great ruler is not just having good qualities, but also should have something "bad," because lots of people in the world is not as good as we think.Thus sometimes being a fox is important.
Yuan Zhang
MWF 9:00 a.m.
In chapter 18, it talks about all the different ways that a prince should keep faith. But to me it just sounds like he telling "the prince" to put on a mask. To be either a lion or a fox but that is better to be both. The lion, a great protector but very unobservant and easily trapped. But to be a fox, a great deceiver but a bad protector. The fox can decieve many and is very observant as to not get caught. That to have both qualities is great but that only one should be shown at a time, the time when that certain "mask" or part of your self is needed to be shown. Like being trustworthy, respected, and respectful, showing mercy, and showing responsiblity to your people. But then in times that it is needed to "change" or become "evil" or war-like, being able to handle things differently without ruining your other self.
sorry the 2nd chapter 18 is from Heather Maier MWF 10:00
The question that was presented to us in class is it better to be loved or feared arises in the text. TO me the key for a successful leader is one who can both be cruel in punishment, but yet can be compassionate and just in making judgments for the community. ALthough fear is beneficial eventually it is a catch 22 if you are a softy you will be hated and if you are a tyrant you will also be hated the happy medium if possible is the best.
After reading chapter 18, and hearing the thoughts of Machiavelli on how a prince could keep his faith as well as respect; I found many things to be very interesting. Machiavelli stated that the key to keeping your faith and respect as a prince you must have the trate of astuteness. Having Astuteness is also like having a hard headed business like attitude. Machiavelli also goes on to say that a prince must be as cruel and tough as a lion, but he must also have intelligence and the ability to see traps such as a fox. Although the prince may not be the nicest of people, or hold the best of qualites; he must also pretend to hold the best of qualities in order to gain the respect of his citizens. Machiavelli continues on to talk of how when the citizens begin to act out of order or break laws the prince must your force and enforce laws by using his most manly qualities. In the end however, a prince must contain a "bad side", because he can't get too close to people. Showing that in the end everyone isn't good.
Chapter 20 deals with the Prince either being hated or despised, and it addresses both cases and then elaborates on what it would mean for the Prince to be hated by the people or what it would mean to be only despised by the people. They seem to think that being despised is a lesser evil than hated, mainly because as long as people are fearful and on edge of what you will do they will only despise you, but the minute that a good majority hate you then you have to be fearful of being overthrown. Really to be feared is good to a certain extent, but to be loved is also good. If you are in a powerful position you would want the people to respect you and listen to what you say. If you are too loved then they might not comply with your orders but if they respect you out of fear then they would be more likely to follow along.
Rebecca Allen MWF 11:00
He is about a simple question wether to be loved or feared. He gives reasons for both and they are both very good and it is a hard choice if you had to choose one, this is pretty much the whole of machiavelli
I agree with the statement whether to be feared than loved or loved than to be feared. It's one of the topics that we talked about in lecture, but it's a question to think about. You do have to be trustful and trustworthy and those all fail in line with Machiavelli's stories. In order to love or to be loved you have to show others that you loved them and respect them so people will not fear you.
Amber Brezden MWF 9:00
Machiavelli is very detailed in his descriptions on how people should be treated. I found it interesting on his comments about Liberality. He said it should be exercised in a way that doesn't bring you a reputation for it. This is good advice to live by in many aspects of life. It also seems to maybe reiterate the known rule about "picking your battles" with people. He also gives other advise on people by being feared rather than loved. Men will try to not offend someone they fear, but will always take advantage of people they love.
Sarah Birkholz, 11:00
To me Machiavelli is trying to show the importance of balance. I see this in chapter 16. He says that a prince can not be to generous or else he will lose all his money. Yet a prince cannot be to stingy or he well be looked upon with misery. I find that balance is a very important thing in every aspect of life.
Nathan Devlin 10:00
Machiavelli:
Machiavelli is a very intelligent man who teaches people by giving examples that may be contradictive. He says one statement than will state the complete opposite in the next. I think what he is trying to do is to teach people what is good and bad, right and wrong, by making them think about what he is saying. Both of his statements in any one of the lines could be right although they seem to contradict each other; however it is dependent on a situation. This is true in everyday life. You have to think about rights and wrongs depending upon a situation. Machiavelli teaches you how to understand life by making you think and form your own thoughts and opinions about what is right.
Ashley Schultz
I believe that Machiavelli was a very smart man who had some very good views about how royalty should govern, but his ideas were unrealistic. He basically said that a prince should be both good and virtuous and also contain "bad" traits. He said that sometimes it is necessary for a prince to use "bad" traits to make the country a better place for all of the people, and because he uses these "bad" traits he will be seen as a better ruler and thus he will be forgiven for having these traits and even loved. He even says that a current prince has at least one of these so called "bad" traits and frequently exercises it often and is not seen as a bad ruler for using it, and says that he is smart for having and using such a trait. He uses famous people such as Alexander the Great and Augustus Cesar as example s to back up his claims.
Alyssa Kaye Anderson (MWF 10:00)
Machiavelli thinks it is better to be feared than to be loved. I think it is better to be loved by other people than it is to be feared because then they want to help you and they respect you because you have never been mean to them. So, I think he was wrong when he said it was better to be feared then loved.
Jacob Butrous
9:00
Post a Comment