Review of Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince, Penguin, (2003[1513]).
Machiavelli was a Florentine diplomat but, with the fall of the republic and the ascension to power of the Medici he lost his post because Machiavelli worked to maintain Florence's Republican credentials. The Prince is, in part, an attempt by Machiavelli at damage limitation and try to secure a future for himself in the new administration. However, as Machiavelli himself concedes, there was a flaw in his obsequiousness which he tried to mitigate against in his opening letter to Lorenzo de Medici:
I hope it will [not] be considered presumptuous for a man of low and humble status to dare discuss and lay down the law about how princes should rule (p. 3-4).I am not aware that de Medici ever commented as to whether he did in fact consider Machiavelli's action presumptuous; however, the fact that Machiavelli never worked in Medici's employ again suggest that he did and one is tempted to think that given the fact that Machiavelli's thesis is that the prince is of a different character to us mere mortals then he was right to do so for in the very act of writing the book Machiavelli has to a certain extent undercut his own argument. While Machiavelli's immediate aims were unfulfilled The Prince has become one of the key texts of modern political theory. If truth be told I was perhaps expecting a little more from this book given the regularity with which Machiavelli is cited, although evidently often by those who have not read Machiavelli himself. Although not strictly separated as such there are two emphases in the text. The first, which will appeal to military strategists, is a series of observations of maintaining power over a newly obtained territory and the means by which the prince should do this. The second is an examination of the prince's relationship to the aristocracy, other neighbouring princes, the military, and the general population. What ties all these different constituencies together is the calculated disavowal of ethics. Back in 1997 the new UK Foreign Secretary Robin Cook Robin Cook launched a new ethical foreign policy; at the time I remember being impressed. In it Cook promised that
Our foreign policy must have an ethical dimension and must support the demands of other peoples for the democratic rights on which we insist for ourselves. The Labour Government will put human rights at the heart of our foreign policy
A centrepiece of Machiavelli's argument is that there is not, from the Prince's perspective a necessary correlation between ethics and politics. As Anthony Grafton summarises in the introduction Machiavelli argued that "the prince could not be constrained by the demands of normal morality if he hoped to do his job properly ... Politics must have its own rules" (p. xxiii-xxiv). On the face of it, Cook et al were charting a new way from that envisaged by Machiavelli, however, on closer reflection they played a Machiavellian political strategy masterfully, the Iraq war being symptomatic of this (although, to be fair, it should be remembered that Cook resigned from the Cabinet over this issue). Machiavelli argues that the prince, even if privately generous and virtuous must always be prepared to politically divorce this ethical framework from political praxis and, as Machiavelli notes one of the best ways to be allowed to do this - for the Prince's power is never absolute, hence the need for wile - is to play on the moral virtues of those who could stop them. Accumulate natural resources while preaching freedom and peace; praise justice while undermining international law, etc. I do not like what I read, but over 500 years since it was first published The Prince strikes me as an extremely perceptive book. It is not that the leader should be wholly self-serving - for, contrary to some characterisations that is not Machiavelli's argument but if one is to succeed in the community of nations (I use success in the normal sense and not as a statement of personal approval) then ethics should be subservient to power. We may hope for the day when that is not so but at present it is the world in which we live.
Related Links:
Online version of Machiavelli's The Prince
The Stanford Encylopedia of Philosophy's Article on Machiavelli.
A Scholars & Rogues review of the book.
THE BIBLE – SLAVERY – AND US FOREIGN POLICY – AS AN ALTERNATIVE SERMON.
A part of the history of the United States is its participation in plantation slavery.
The phrase, “ control the mind and the body will follow” takes on meaning with the application of the Bible and its teachings as a tool for control of the mind of the slave. But, this observation tells only half the story. The objective conditions that slaves lived in did not assure that the message of subservience and passivity would always be the interpretation that was embraced.
Should we reflect on the power of the Negro spirituals, therein are hidden tales of resistance. “Steal away, steal away…”, was not just another hymn urging closer moving to Jesus, it was an actual song of stealth to move to liberation – to steal away to freedom.
Fast forward to Dr. Martin Luther King’s exultations in his famous speech and the words “free at last, free at last…” which is a modern version but the same call to resist oppression. But, again, that tells only half the story. The thesis has its antithesis. There are many American preachers who still teach the opposite and alternative theology, as did masters seeking domination of and passivity in their slaves. Subservience to US foreign policy and its unjust designs is their version of the gospel. A mindless and blind, unthinking, un-analytical patriotism that embraces the way of the Lord as being the equivalent of endorsing – unquestioningly - what one’s country does be it right or wrong, consistent with or inconsistent with the tenets of Christianity. And God’s work is done, blessed and sanctified, when the military illegally invades Iraq, or more missiles and armaments are dispatched to Israel in support of endless torment of the Palestinian people, or another CIA coup is instigated. Blessed be the name of “War!”.
The American people, at least the majority who are not millionaires or billionaires, find themselves faced with an economic crisis, loss of jobs, homes, tangible needs for housing, health care and education. And the majority are, truth be told - “wage slaves” who do listen to their preachers, and some preachers tell them that their woes are being experienced because of the visitations from the “terrorists”, the Muslims, the Mexicans invading the country, the …. and the list goes on.
At its most virulent, xenophobic and racist level, the Reverend Hagee, as an example, tells the people that Armageddon will be the salvation, the bombing of Iran, the domination of the peoples of the Middle East – bringing on the doomsday scenario, as ordained by God. John McCain has read that hymnal and has joined the chorus, as he sings:-
“ Bomb, bomb, bomb – bomb, bomb Iran” ( see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAzBxFaio1I for yourself)
Amen!
Despite that, there remains rationality in the world. There are thinking, reasonable, sane, humane people who can grasp, who will comprehend, that America’s economic woes will not be dissipated by bombing yet another Middle Eastern country, or embarking on more wars, but domestic challenges can be alleviated and addressed, by way of a change in America’s ways of militarism, imperialism and racism and its usual post World War 11 way of doing business as usual. After World War 11 the OSS was abolished in 1945, and a postwar centralized intelligence agency was established - the CIA. Its history from the first coup in Iran in 1953 that overthrew the democratically elected leader of Iran, Mohammad Mossadegh, and a series of similar acts in the years thereafter, has led now to this next round of aggression where American righteousness is again to prevail in the words of the next US President, John McCain when he “ Bomb, bomb, bomb” bombs Iran. This sermon, when considered ( see below) tells quite a different tale than that of slavish subservience to US foreign policy and business as usual….
A documentary was shown on British ITV 4 – and when viewed the message should be clear that with understanding, change can be occasioned – initially in the mind – and can lead to doing things another way – beyond US foreign policy, war, economic sabotage, C.I.A operations as usual. Well if not, then there is always the alternative for God’s sake – “Bomb, bomb, bomb” – just bomb Iran……( read on below and view)….
Video Documentary :Tony Robinson investigates the people with powerful political friends in the White House, who are trying to bring about the end of the world.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article15044.htm
Posted by: Courtenay Barnett | 03/23/2008 at 12:00 AM
It is an interesting job to review a "classic."
Posted by: aaron g | 03/23/2008 at 12:00 AM