Written by Niccolo Machiavelli and published in 1432, The Prince is a political treatise that is considered one of the most famous, if not the most famous, book on politics ever written. Even if one has not heard of the man Machiavelli, the term coined after his name, the term “Machiavellian” and the philosophy for how it is better for a ruler to be feared than loved is also very common in discourse to this day. Wishing to favor himself in the eyes of Lorenzo de’ Medici (aka Lorenzo the Magnificent), Machiavelli outlines the strategies for a ruler to maintain authority and control, as well as debates the job of a ruler, which he believed was preserving order, stability, and security. His work was very controversial and still remains that way, due to his pessimistic view of human nature and his opinions on how a leader should behave and maintain power and the separation of ethics/morals and politics. 

Machiavelli discussed power, leadership, and politics with a view on humanity that is very different from the humanist perspective common during the renaissance in Italy. Machiavelli’s book is much more focused on the pragmatic and harsh realities of human nature, and is much more aligned with realpolitik when compared with the more traditional humanist ideology. Humanism, the french word for ‘reborn’, heavily involves the idealization of humans, the focus on the potential value and goodness of human beings. Although Machiavelli is considered a civic humanist, Machiavelli’s perspective on human nature is more aligned with how Thomas Hobbes, an English philosopher during the Enlightenment era, viewed human nature prior to governments, or a “common power” as Hobbes describes it, as everyone living for themselves and against all others. Although Hobbes and Machiavelli had differences in life experience, they had very similar perspectives on the nature of humankind, and similarities between their opinions on aspects regarding government. The relationship between opinions on human nature and opinions on government is very interesting to observe throughout political and philosophical literature, so while reading such books, keep an eye out for how these variables correlate. 

Machiavelli brought a new perspective to the Renaissance and onto the humanism ideology with his own beliefs – that the ideals and dreams need to be tethered down to earth, down in reality. Machiavelli regarded a leader’s ability to elicit fear from their constituents as the most important characteristic. Machiavelli believed, “it’s much safer to be feared than loved” (p.66), however, a leader should avoid becoming an object of hatred. A hated leader can attract malevolence, greed, and envy, which will be directed against the ruler and impact his leadership. He believed that it was fear of punishment that induces people to behave in a manner that is socially acceptable and appropriate. 

I first read The Prince in 10th grade, for my AP European History class. When I heard how much of an influence this book had on history, I thought it wasn’t enough just to read about it from my textbooks; I wanted to understand it firsthand. I believe that actually reading the book gave me a much deeper perspective and understanding of the material I was studying and of the history and influence this book has had in the contemporaneous time and throughout history to modern politics. As with many books, one does not have to completely concur with every perspective or opinion or conclusion drawn in The Prince to understand the significance of the literature and read it. I would recommend anyone with a passion for history and politics to read this book. 

(P.S. Thank you to my alma mater high school for not shutting down my account yet because my old essays and homework assignments were phenomenal help in writing this review and some of the history. I’m considering this as the official citation for all my previous work, because no one will ever be able to convince me that it’s wrong to “plagiarize” MYSELF, especially if I wasn’t published. With the effort I put into those assignments, it is my God-given right to use my own writing).