The Prince – Machiavelli
The Art of War is a Sun Tzu epic but when it comes to the politics of war there is none who put the thought process together than the late Machiavelli in, The Prince. Below is an excerpt from “The Prince and the Discourses” (Max Lerner) and it might provide a window into the somewhat blunt and brutal way the author idealized Politics. Most of us approach politicians with hate and distaste due to the multitude of lies and falsehoods they perpetuate. However, he made it his goal to define and simplify the process as black and white, good and evil.
There wasn’t too much condemnation towards evil as he was trying to maintain an unbiased approach. However, as he does outline certain events and certain colourful characters you can see that he does it out of the desire to bring clarity not the desire to promote a copy cat. That being said, he leaves no stone unturned as far as the human psyche of politics is concerned. After you read you will be able to look at our modern day politicians and be wiser as to their motives. If you have any interest in politics this is one of those that would be a plus to have on your shelf.
author: Max Lerner: Play based on The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli [by way of Hero]
To reconstitute political life in a state presupposes a good man, where as to have recourse to violence in order to make oneself prince in a republic supposes a bad man. Hence very rarely will there be found a good man ready to use bad methods in order to make himself prince. Nor will any reasonable man blame him for taking any action, however extraordinary, which may be of service in the organization of a kingdom or the constituting of a republic. It is a sound maxim that reprehensible actions may be justified by their effects, and that when the effect is good, it always justifies the action. For it is the man who uses violence to spoil things, not the man who uses it to mend them, that is blameworthy. A prince should therefore disregard the reproach of being thought cruel where it enables him to keep his subjects united and loyal. For he who quells disorder by a very few signal examples will in the end be more merciful than he who from too great leniency permits things to take their course and so result in chaos and bloodshed; for these hurt the whole state, whereas the “severities” of the Prince injure individuals only. It is essential therefore, for a Prince who desires to maintain his position, to have learned how to be other than good, and to use or not use his goodness as necessity requires.” “Everyone sees what you seem to be, but few know what you are.”