The Prince
(Machiavelli)
The Prince
Machiavelli was a renaissance man. His career was statecraft. Perhaps he is the earliest known career diplomat. He wrote his most famous and enduring work, ?The Prince?, when he was out of job. It is rather ironic, isn?t it? When someone is after power without any scruples, we call him ?Machiavellian?. This is a great injustice done to the man and his work. ?The Prince? was intended as a collection of advices to a ruler. Power is indispensable for a ruler. To retain power, the leader has to follow certain principles. It may not apparently conform to the moral principles of a normal human being. It is not that you are to somehow maintain power trampling underfoot all moral principles. That is not the advice of Machiavelli. All moral and ethical principles are subordinated to the common good, for which ?the prince? has to maintain his power. We can not help recalling the biblical idea of questioning the use of winning the whole world and losing one?s self.
The setting was the renaissance Italy. Machiavelli himself was an Italian. He says that the ruler should not allow a principality under him to outgrow his kingdom. The Prince has to listen to advices from his ministers and subordinates. But he is not to follow them. He has to make his own decisions. The Prince is taught how to maintain relationship with his neighbouring states. That is, the question of foreign policy is an important subject in the book. There is also the question of dealing with mutinies and conspiracies. A real study of the work ?The Prince? will help not only political leaders but also managers and CEOs.
SATHYA
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