A 3 page research paper that examines the ruthlessness of Niccolo Machiavelli's political philosophy in his text The Prince, which the writer discusses as a "handbook" for obtaining and then retaining political power at any cost. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Name of Research Paper File: D0_khmacp.rtf
Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
is because in this text, Machiavelli rejects all traditional notions of good and evil, positing instead that men will rulers should do whatever is in their own best interests. In
The Prince, Machiavelli instructed Renaissance monarchs to utilize whatever means necessary and at their disposal, no matter how ruthless, to gain control of the state. As this suggests, The Prince,
is basically a technical manual for grasping and holding power, with specific instruction in murder, corruption and intrigue. The following examination of The Prince will, therefore, examine Machiavellis advice to
rulers and the utility of brutality. Prior to Machiavelli, there was a long tradition, beginning with Plato (c. 429-347 B.C.) and carried throughout the medieval period that
indicated that a ruler should be the embodiment of noble ideals and values (Hundersmarck 133). This political perspective focused on the virtues of justice and mercy as being a prerequisite
for good governance. Machiavelli turned away from this orientation and considered in The Prince what actions would be necessary for a ruler to be successful in a corrupt world (Hundersmarck
133). The viewpoint that human nature was necessarily corrupt was, of course, not a new idea. Theologians and philosophers throughout the Middle Ages made this point as well when discussing
the effects of "Original Sin" (Hundersmarck 133). While Machiavelli agreed with this stance, he did not do so because of theology. Rather, for him, the observations that humanity is corrupt
and ruthless was merely observable fact and quite obvious. In 1519, Machiavelli completed The Prince -- his "handbook for those interested in gaining and maintaining power in the midst of...turmoil"
(Kugler 20). Some of this advice is quite brutal and cruel. For example, Machiavelli wrote that "A prince must not mind incurring the charge of cruelty in order to keep