Machiavellis economy of violence
... Cruelty is distinct from Virtù – it is the way to power but not glory – but economy of violence has an important role in Rule. ... Hmpt01mach12 Virtù; Economy of Violence and Raison D’Etat M’ is not just a fan of violence Virtù in a Prince is instrumentalised or operationalised in Raison D’Etat (reason of state) Acting to accommodate necessity Acting to resist the blows of fortune In the interests of a stable, free and Glorious state requires a virtù that Is not bounded by conventional morality A Prince should always try and appear moral But should not shy away from being seen to Do whatever is necessary. ... Hmpt01mach12a Ch 15 – 19 The character of Princes 15: What causes Princes to be praised or censured 16: On Generosity and Parsimony 17: On Cruelty and Compassion 18: On Keeping one’s word Here M’ returns to the theme of value free analysis and economy of violence “the gap between how people ought to behave and how they actually behave is so great that anyone who ignores everyday reality in order to live up to an ideal will soon find that he has been taught how to destroy himself” (ch15) Borgia’s actions in Romagna More compassionate than a Seemingly gentle Florence that Let Pistoia tear itself apart Hmpt01mach13 In discussing the qualities of a virtuous ruler M’ draws several themes together Most important Necessity Human Nature No mention of fickle and wicked Christian virtues The fox and the lion/ feared rather than loved/ prepared to give promises lightly Ch 14 returns to Fortune and then ends with an exhortation to free Italy from the barbarians The Prince does seem to lend itself to the image of M’ that we saw in the beginning but the Discourses add an extra layer of theory to M’s legacy Hmpt01mach14 M’s main theme (ch’s 10-14) focuses on military matters but can only be understood fully in relation to his view of the relationship b/w fortune, necessity and the virtù of a successful prince The common good requires a stable state Which requires a virtuous Ruler Who acts according to necessity Takes account of fortuna And human nature Who makes good laws But who cannot do anything without a stable base And who thfr requires Good armies “since there cannot be good laws where there are not good armies, and since where there are good armies there must be good laws, I will omit any discussion of laws, and will talk about armies”(P ch12) A citizen militia Hmpt01mach15 Summarizing The Prince Public Morality and Religion are overlooked because M is only concerned with the political (what the Prince must do to secure stability and how [eg] religion might be used to ensure stability.