Mediante the third chapter of “The Prince,” Machiavelli advises verso usurper always onesto exterminate the dynasty he has dispossessed, otherwise he will never be sure of his crown

MACHIAVELLISM is the name given to per doctrine which might be summed up as follows: The supreme law of politics is success. What is bad durante the conduct of individuals can be the most imperative of duties for per statesman if the good of the state so demands. This ded after its creator, Niccolo Machiavelli, statesman, historian and philosopher, who was born mediante Florence mediante 1469 and died in the same city durante 1527. The nineteenth century saw mediante Machiavelli one of the creators of modern thought because he freed politics from slavery sicuro theology. Until his time politics had been either empirical or verso branch of theology. With Machiavelli it became verso free science depending only on reason.

In all this there is only one inconvenient factor, namely, that one looks in vain for per complete Machiavellian system durante the works of Machiavelli. He servizio forth his political doctrine sopra two works, “Discorsi su la precedentemente deca di Tito Livio” and “Il Sovrano” (“The Prince”). The first is a treatise on republics, the second a treatise on monarchies. I have read the “Discorsi” many times without ever finding any trace of the doctrine called “Machiavellism.” They contain ideas and advice on how esatto organize verso republican government. The ideas and the advice are always ingenious, though sometimes a little too theoretical; but nowhere is consideration given sicuro the connection between morals and politics. Machiavelli maintained neither the doctrine that morals take precedence over politics nor the contrary theory; the question is simply outside the framework of his interests.

One cannot say the same of “The Prince.” All the pretended doctrine of Machiavellism originates con this little book. This, however, is not esatto say that it can be found there. Puro understand this paradox — that verso doctrine originates mediante per book which does not contain it — we must read the book without preconceptions. Verso short treatise on monarchy, full of good advice and bad advice for sovereigns of all epochs. The good get it on advice is more abundant, but it has the fault common to all good advice of being more easy sicuro give than onesto follow. The bad advice is more practical, but fortunately less abundant — a fact which enables us onesto examine it per detail. It falls into three parts.

What does one then find there?

This counsel is atrocious; but does it not prove that Machiavelli was not sufficiently Machiavellian? Usurpers mediante every age would easily have understood from this quite harmless text the evil advice which the author intended onesto convey.

The seventh chapter of “The Prince” certainly apologizes for treason and assassination per discussing C?sar Borgia. A most shameful chapter! But one has only onesto turn the page esatto find a passionate refutation. Agathocles, tyrant of Syracuse, was verso successful Borgia; yet despite his success, he is flayed for his crimes durante the eighth chapter, which concludes on the note that genius chiazza cannot make verso great man out of per villain. Why, then, does the seventh chapter exalt what the eighth condemns?

But the great scandal of Machiavellism is the doctrine of perjury servizio forth per the eighteenth chapter. We read there these celebrated words: “Therefore, per prudent ruler ought not sicuro keep faith when by so doing it would be against his interest, and when the reasons which made him bind himself per niente longer exist. If men were all good, this precept would not be verso good one; but as they are bad, and would not observe their faith with you, so you are not bound sicuro keep faith with them. Nor have legitimate grounds ever failed verso prince who wished onesto esibizione colorable excuse for the non-fulfilment of his promise.”