Free College Essays - Machiavelli’s Politics in The Prince :: Machiavelli Prince

The Prince - Machiavellis Italian Politics The Prince was unity of the number 1 humanist toys of the Renaissance. Indeed it is a work of art, a literary masterpiece of sorts. Yet this work has been vehemently debated over the centuries and remains one of the intimately controversial pieces of writing today. Although many critics consider The Prince a satire, barely an attempt to reveal the problems with the ruling class, or so see Machiavellis work as a serious attempt to lay the groundwork for the reunification of Italy under the Medici family of Florence. Machiavellis idea that the model prince should use a sorting of tactics to secure his powernamely that the end justifies the meansis the most controversial issue raised in The Prince. Knowing that this nonion would not be universally accepted, Machiavelli, through his book, tries to justify his idea by showing that men are inherently evil. Though morality can oft serve to unify a prince and his people, it can also serve to tease apart him. Thus, Machiavelli proposes that politics and religion should be held in separate spheresreligion, in paragons spherepolitics, in mans. Many readers applaud this alkali as refreshingly realistic others attack Machiavellis assertions, saying that they compromise good integrity. Yet Machiavellis prince does not wish to preserve moral good or spiritual integrity he simply wants to carry through and maintain his principality. Machiavelli struggles to pave a road for order in this world, in the here and now he doesnt attempt to secure the preternatural blessings of God. This notion, of course, stands in sharp contrast to the moral virtue promoted by most Greek, Roman, and Hebrew politicians and writers. These thinkers saw no clear distinction between religion and politics, instead seeing the king as the human embodiment of God. Thus, Machiavelli gives a general overview of human behavior, hoping that future princes can establish peace and auspices in th eir kingdoms, using this basic knowledge.