FEMI TAIWO ON MONDAY: My take on Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince
[Please note: For the remainder of this year, 2013, I will be mostly reviewing books that are both original and seminal. They are books that have shaped the course of world history in ways that may not always be readily apparent. Starting in 2014, God willing, I will be sharing with you on something very, very exciting. I think it will be groundbreaking and revolutionary. But, first, let’s get through these book reviews.]
The Prince written in 1516 by Niccolo Machiavelli (hereinafter called NM) is one of the most vilified books I know of. Some have labeled NM the devil incarnate, a corrupter of men’s souls. His name has entered our lexicon and is synonymous with infamy. We hear of “Machiavellian” schemes in describing sinister plots or a “Machiavellian” character in labeling a sadistic mind. Tyrants, dictators and malefactors in general are said to be acting from a Machiavellian play book. Why the besmirching of Mr. NM? What has he written about to warrant such unflattering reviews?
Interestingly, NM did not set out to be a political teacher of the Western world. He was out of job and out of power he once had with Florence’s ruling elite. In a desperate attempt to ingratiate himself to Florence’s new ruler – Lorenzo de Medici (“The Prince”) – NM decided to write a book on how a new Prince can keep his power. He thus wrote The Prince and dedicated it to Medici. He truly believed that Medici was God’s answer to the problems Florence and all of Italy was facing and he wanted to help this new principality keep his reign.
This brief historical context is necessary to understand the spirit behind NM’s letter. He was primarily writing to one man about what were the political realities of his day and to warn this new prince on following conventional notions of vice and virtue. He wanted to let Medici know that the world operates by a different set of rules than what is in the “rule book” of how leaders should behave. I see nothing wrong with that.
NM’s genius, or audacity, is his insistence that no single behavior should be termed virtue or vice in all situations. Take generosity for instance. He believes a prince who has a reputation for generosity will soon come to ruin. This is because once the sovereign runs out of money to distribute, he will either have to resort to unpopular means to make money or stop doling out cash. Either way, he will be hated by the people. And once you are hated, your end is imminent. Hence, a prince should not think of generosity as a virtue – at least not in all circumstances.
The Prince teaches that all armed prophets have conquered while all unarmed prophets have come to ruin. A “prophet” is anyone advocating change. You cannot argue with this. History is littered with examples of unarmed prophets cut short in their prime.
“Violence must be inflicted once for all; people will then forget what it tastes like and so be less resentful. Benefits must be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.” This is one of the most censored quotes in The Prince but it is exactly what Jerry Rawlings did in Ghana some years ago. And Ghana has been the better for it. Maybe if a Nigerian ruler had similar balls, we wouldn’t be on the verge of collapse. It’s not too late.
On whether a leader should be feared or loved, NM believes it is better to be both feared AND loved. But he also admits this is difficult to achieve. Were you to pick one, choose to be feared. Because men will do to you as they please if they love you but will do to you as you please if they fear you. But above all, a prince should avoid being hated. Fear is compatible with an absence of hatred.
This is a small book (~100 pages) that can be read in one sitting. I encourage you to pick it up and read. You will disagree with some of NM’s conclusions or bent but you will at least appreciate how this Renaissance-era political wisdom still very much applies today.
Editor’s Note: This article should have been published last week Monday, but due to some reasons, I was not able to, even though Michael sent it to me before due date. My apologies to MT’s teeming followers. This means the next edition will be published next week Monday, by God’s grace. – Jarus
I enjoyed this piece so much it brought back a feeling of Nostalgia. I studied Political Science @ UNILORIN. The Prince is one of the Books we treated on POLITICAL THOUGHTS1 (POS 301). Prof. Davies (the Lecturer) woould be proud of this piece