Machiavelli Political Theory

Machiavelli Political Theory

Introduction

Machiavelli had presented a theory on Political Theory, which he claims to be a source of a successful implementation of power. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli could be considered as a political ideology as the creation of a fantasy that acts on a scattered and pulverized people, to arouse and organize its collective will. The utopian character of the Prince, is that it is a pure abstraction of doctrine, the symbol of the Chief. Machiavelli is about what should be the Prince to lead a people. The Modern Prince, the Mito-Prince, cannot be a real person, an individual it can only be an organism, a complex element of society which begins to take shape a collective will partially recognized and affirmed in action. This body shaped by the historical development and the political party.

Discussion

Machiavelli's was full of talent and abilities. Public servant, diplomat, poet, playwright, satirist, historian, he is best known as a political theorist. Yet his most celebrated work, Il Principe (The Prince), does not fit easily into the category of political theory. It belongs rather to the literature of parliamentary practice. The Prince depends upon different long experiences of modern affairs. In this sense, it is far different form works on government conducted earlier, which describe ideal republics and principalities (Ruffo Fiore, 1990).

Machiavelli was an influential political figure in Florence, Italy. He was born into a lesser branch of a prominent family but managed to work his way up to the station of Head of the Second Chancery by the time he was 29. His modern office afforded him the ability to travel extensively on foreign affairs missions which granted him a world view that, was different from many of his contemporaries. Machiavelli retained this fairly prominent position until the Florentine Republic conquered by the Medici Regime in 1512 (ibid). The following years in Florence were tumultuous, and Machiavelli tortured then exiled to a small family farm.

Despite these magnificent setbacks, Machiavelli continued to work towards his lifelong goal of restoring Italy to prominence free of foreign influence. These efforts culminated in The Prince which is essentially a how-to instructional for restoring domestic solidarity to Italy. Machiavelli's intentions coincide with the “organic theory of state” which puts the importance of the nation over that of the individual (Marriott, 2009).

In modern times, Machiavelli closely associated with the idea of “the ends justify the means” which he developed in The Prince. This idea often taken out of context leading people to believe Machiavelli would justify any evil by the result which is not the case. Machiavelli never tries to apply this theory to everyday life; instead, he believes that a leader can justify certain evils if it protects the populace and secures the Prince's position. Machiavelli writes by elaborating on examples that best demonstrate his point, and he chooses examples flawlessly throughout the book. He provides many examples of tyrants who failed due to inflicting evils upon their people without cause or ...