A Summary of Machiavelli's Political Philosophy (How to Get Power and Keep It)

Brief Summary and Intro to The Prince

Following the return of the Medici noble family to Florence in 1512, Niccolo Machiavelli fell from power, was imprisoned, tortured and then exiled, and subsequently wrote a book attempting to gain favor with the family (and hopefully a job). This famous book, The Prince, describes exactly how a prince (or nobleman) should gain power and the steps needed to keep it. Machiavelli describes, among other things, that it is better for a prince to be feared than to be loved, that a prince must possess virtù, a character trait which combines the "cunning of the fox" and the "boldness of a lion", must be morally flexible and willing to do evil, and must at all times try to resist the powerful force of luck that Machiavelli calls fortuna.

Virtù, Fortuna, and Cesare Borgia

In The Prince, Machiavelli's key point is that a prince should at all times possess virtù, which approximately translates to "virtue" in English, though this virtue is quite different than the virtue of ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle. Machiavelli proposes that this virtù combines the skill, decisiveness, and adaptability required to seize and maintain power. He shows this through his example of Cesare Borgia, the bastard son of Pope Alexander VI who later became a prominent figure whose actions Machiavelli analyzed closely.

Machiavelli uses Cesare Borgia as a prime example of a leader possessing significant virtù. Borgia utilized strategic alliances and calculated violence to achieve his goals, demonstrating the kind of decisive action Machiavelli admired. For instance, Borgia's methods successfully restored order in the chaotic region of Romagna, proving, in Machiavelli's view, that "cruelty well used" can be effective in unifying a state and establishing stability. This aligns with Machiavelli's concept of "well-employed" cruelty: decisive, swift actions taken primarily to secure power, contrasted with "ill-employed" cruelty, which is prolonged and breeds hatred.

However, Machiavelli also points out Borgia's ultimate downfall as a cautionary tale. Despite his initial success driven by virtù, Borgia became overly reliant on fortuna—specifically, the luck associated with his father's papal power and alliances. When this external support inevitably shifted, Borgia's power crumbled. For Machiavelli, this illustrates a critical lesson: while virtù is essential for navigating and potentially dominating fortuna, even the most skilled leader can be undone by unpredictable events if they depend too heavily on luck rather than their own capabilities.

Machiavelli insists that virtù involves more than just strength or skill; it requires profound adaptability. He famously uses the analogy of the lion and the fox, stating that a prince must possess both qualities: the lion's strength to deter enemies ("wolves") and the fox's cunning to recognize and avoid traps ("toils"). This means a ruler guided by Machiavelli's principles must be flexible, sometimes acting with force, other times with shrewdness, and always prepared to shift tactics as circumstances demand.

Against Traditional Philosophical Notions of Morality

Furthermore, Machiavelli controversially separates political action from conventional Christian or ancient Greek notions of morality. He argues that to maintain the state, a prince must often act "against mercy, against faith, against humanity, against frankness" if necessary. The stability and security of the state are paramount, and if achieving these requires actions typically deemed unethical, the prince must be willing to undertake them. Machiavelli observes that rulers who strictly adhere to moral virtues often fail, while those who are pragmatic, even ruthless, tend to succeed.

Conclusion

Ultimately, Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince remains a seminal work precisely because of its unflinching examination of power dynamics. By prioritizing virtù – the adaptable, decisive, and often morally ambiguous skill set needed to rule – over traditional ethics, Machiavelli provided a pragmatic, if unsettling, guide to leadership. His focus on realism, the calculated use of fear and cruelty, the necessity of adaptability (the lion and the fox), and the constant struggle against fortuna challenged the political and moral assumptions of his time. While critics argue Machiavelli's ideas can justify authoritarianism, his core insights into the often harsh realities of acquiring and maintaining political power continue to resonate, cementing Machiavelli's legacy as a foundational figure in modern political science.