Machiavelli

Machiavelli

Out of both Lao Tzu's and Machiavelli's ideas of government, Machiavelli's ideas are best fit for a ruler because he is mostly focused on the protection of his people, he believes that a ruler must be focused on war, and must not be too generous or else he will be hated.

In order to protect his people, he has to be a vice. "..... Because human nature does not permit it, a prince must be prudent enough to know how to escape the bad reputation of those vices that would lose the state for him, and must protect himself from those that will not lose it for him....." (42-43) He might be feared, but fear can be controlled. Being loved can change at any moment and he can lose control over his people. Furthermore, through being feared he must be dishonest. He must pretend to have honest qualities in order to gain trust, but not having it in the end will give him power. However, a leader must not be caught in his lies. Also, a leader must not be too cruel or else he will be hated, which is worst of all. Being hated will cause rebellion and will show that he has no control over his people.

Aside from protecting his people, a leader can be a hundred percent cruel to his army. Machiavelli states, ".... I say that every prince must desire to be considered merciful and not cruel; nevertheless, he must take care not to misuse this mercy." (45) Doing this will keep his army in order and make enemies more fearful and unwilling to attack. In doing so, this keeps him aware of his enemies while staying focused on war. Therefore a good leader is cautious of danger but can be totally attentive to any signs of war.

If a leader is generous, then he will not have the funds to protect his people. Spending his money on necessities and throwing lavish parties is one way of being too generous. To not be generous, a leader must save his money for his army and protection. A leader should not be afraid to be a miser, which is a person who holds their wealth and spends as little money as possible. Being a miser will ensure his peoples protection because he will not be spending wealth on lavish items. For example, he states that, "a prince, therefore, unable to use this virtue of generosity in a manner which will not harm himself if he is known for it...." (43)

Overall, Machiavelli's ideas of government are the best fit for a ruler because the safety of his people is of utmost importance, war is vital in order to keep a leader in power, and to keep his generosity at a minimum. Machiavelli put great thought into what it takes to be a ruler. His views are very strong and powerful, and demand that a ruler must be strong willed and strong minded.

Works Cited

Machiavelli, Nicolo. "The Qualities of a Prince." A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers. By