The Prince

Machiavellian: cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous, especially in politics or in advancing one's career.

• First western thinker to separate politics from ethics.
• His viewpoint was based on what succeeds not what is right or wrong.

The book "The Prince" outlined his beliefs.

• If rulers had political foes, Machiavelli observed, they must either make them allies or kill them.
• He belied to subjects rulers must always appear to be religious, merciful, and honest regardless of their true character actions
• If lying keeps power a prince should lie
• It is better for a ruler to be feared than loved, yet a ruler should avoid being hated
• Political science inevitably includes a study of the role that self-interest plays in individual political actions.
• His theories are passed on through generations and are even studied in schools across the world including Harvard

Contributions to Principles that he set forth in his Discourses in 1531 are applied to the management of organizations today. An organization is more stable, if members have the right to express their differences and solve their conflicts within it. (ie autonomy) While one person can begin an organization , it is “ lasting when it is left in the case many desire to maintain it” .

• Contributions to Management: A weak manager can follow a strong one, but not another weak one , and maintain authority. A manager seeking to change an established organization “should retain at least a shadow of the ancient customs”

Example of this is the three pillars of R2P which say

1. A state has a responsibility to protect its population from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing.

2. The international community has a responsibility to assist the state to fulfill its primary responsibility.

3. If the state manifestly fails to protect its citizens from the four above mass atrocities and peaceful measures have failed, the international community has the responsibility to intervene through coercive measures such as economic sanctions. Military intervention is considered the last resort

Greater Implications

• Ethical Philosophers thoughts on politics

• Public success versus private morality

• What makes a good human being?

• What makes a good prince?

NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI THE GREATEST POLITICAL THINKER OF ALL TIME!

Management

MACHIAVELLI IN ALL LEVELS OF LIFE

Contribution to

• The ends justify the means

• Machiavelli's political theory, represents an effort to exclude issues of authority and legitimacy from consideration in the discussion of political decision-making and political judgement. This come out more clearly than in his treatment of the relationship between law and force. Machiavelli acknowledges that good laws and good arms constitute the dual foundations of a well-ordered political system.

• Did not believe in cruelty except for military use

Machiavelli Misunderstood

• Machiavelli is defined by “the ends justifies the means” and the term Machiavellian

• Misinterpretation of his works

• The rule of law has its limits

• He was a founder of modern political science, and more specifically political ethics.
• Born 1469 in Florence Italy
• He was an Italian historian, politician, diplomat, philosopher, humanist, and a writer
• Son of a lawyer
• Lived through politically tumultuous times
• He entered the government as a clerk and ambassador in 1494, the same year that the ruling Medici family was thrown out and Florence became a republic
• In 1512 the Medicis with the help of Pope Julius II recaptured Florence and dissolved the republic.
• Machiavelli was accused of plotting against the Medicis and was imprisoned and tortured. He was eventually fined and released
• Retiring to his farm in Sant Andrea in percussion Machiavelli then worked on his political writings, including his masterpiece "The Prince"
• He wrote the book in part to gain favour with the Medici family dedicating it to Lorenzo de Dedici
• he married Marietta Corsini 1502 and had 4 sons and 2 daughters

The Prince

NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI IS THE GREATEST POLITICAL THINKER OF ALL TIME!!!