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Machiavelli’s Virtues and Vices
Machiavelli’ definition of virtue is greatly different than that of other classical philosophers like Aristotle and Plato. ... In The Prince, Machiavelli blurs the line between what is considered a virtue and a vice as he lists the many qualities that a prince must have to keep a kingdom at peace. One cannot distinguish between what is a good or bad quality as Machiavelli correctly demonstrates to the reader, through historic examples and human nature, that it is better in the real world for a prince to have vice type qualities rather than virtuous ones in order to keep the kingdom functioning peacefully and because it is not practical to expect a man to be virtuous in all situations of life. Machiavelli’s main theme is that the end justifies the means. ...
In chapter 15, Machiavelli lists several types of contrasting characteristics to describe a person. ... The virtues that are listed are at first, easily identifiable but as Machiavelli further analyzes each quality, he shows the reader that each virtue can actually be a vice if performed by a prince. He then directly states his thoughts, “Hence it is necessary to a prince, if he wants to maintain himself, to learn to be able not to be good, and to use this and not use it according to necessity” (Machiavelli 1998, 61). ... He then advises princes and tells them that they should not worry about becoming infamous for vices because it will help them save their own state. ...
In chapter sixteen, Machiavelli concentrates on liberality and its advantages and disadvantages. ... Machiavelli stresses the idea that a prince will be thought of as liberal by his people when it becomes clear that through his parsimony, or stinginess, he will gather enough income to defend the state in time of war and to fund different projects without raising taxes or burdening his people.
Approximate Word count = 1492
Approximate Pages = 6
(250 words per page double spaced)
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