In this
reading, Machiavelli puts together a handbook anyone who is, or aspires to be,
a prince should follow to be able to rule successfully. He takes on a practical
approach and describes human nature as he sees it rather than in a more
idealized light like many other philosophers do. One point that I found
interesting and very applicable to our lives is his idea that, “it is much
safer to be feared than loved when one of the two must be lacking”. He goes on
to say that fear is a stronger motivator to get people to do your bidding.
People may turn their backs on a bond made of love, but if you give them reason
to fear you that will not easily be taken back. This reminds me of the saying
that a parent should be your parent and not your best friend. My mom always
made it clear that she wanted me to be able to tell her everything, but she was
above all my parent and responsible for keeping me safe and on the right track,
not making sure I always had the most fun or seemed “cool”. Although at times I
can find this very frustrating, it fits in with Machiavelli’s idea that fear
makes a much stronger leader. Having her there to keep me in line was a much stronger
motivator than if she had acted like my friend and encouraged what in some
cases may have been detrimental decisions. At the end of the day I obviously
still love her, but there is an element of fear of what would happen if she
found out about a negative choice or action. There are obvious differences
between ruling a kingdom and parenting a child. However, I think the fact that some
of Machiavelli’s ideas can be applied to relationships today says a lot about
the timelessness and scope of his philosophy.
