Blog Post 3: The Prince

Niccolo Machiavelli generates many interesting points to how one should properly rule a state in his book, The Prince. However, major politics today are different from the Renaissance as most monarchies have been replaced by democracy and republics. This does not mean that the nature of politics has been completely altered, however there are different tactics to achieving certain goals in politics today. During the Renaissance, monarchies typically gained political power through warfare, controlling land, and controlling people; as the more land and money someone had, the more power they possessed. In many countries today power is divided equally among representatives to form a system of government called democracy. Political figures within this form of government would generally benefit from appealing to the common folk rather than appearing fearful. Although, many aspects of politics and businesses are reflected through The Prince, as politicians frequently throw others under the bus for the benefit of the state. Another factor Machiavelli states is how to properly select one’s council, instead of picking out everyone that simply agrees with you (other known as flatterers) select those that tell you the truth wholeheartedly; as flatterers would not usually share their actual thoughts. There are many points in Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince that are genuinely accurate, and I look forward to delving further into his book to study the functionality of politics during the Renaissance.