Machiavelli Personal and Political Implications Essay...

Machiavelli: Personal and Political Implications And since it is Fortune that does everything, it is she who wishes us to leave her alone, to be quiet and not give her trouble, and wait until she allows us to act again; then you will do well to strive harder, to observe things more closely.... (67)* Letter to Francesco Vettori in Rome December 10, 1513. Machiavelli is praised for the political implications of his writing in The Prince. However, many do not see the personal implications of Machiavellis work, because the motivations for action are spoken in terms of political domination and the acquisition of power. There are underlying principles that speak of domination not only of cities and nations, but the domination of the†¦show more content†¦Machiavelli analogizes Fortune to a river, a contemplative force that directs its path through weakness where she knows that dikes and embankments are not constructed to hold her (159). Because of this nature, a person who wants to dominate the circumstances instead of being ruled by them must look to see where the river has gone and predict where it will go next. This requires ceaseless planning with little rest, because rest develops into weakness and laziness. Machiavelli states that men who are separated from the rest of those who have ruled in terms of greatness, never enjoye d the benefits of the time, but they enjoyed instead benefits of their strength and prudence; for time brings with it all things and it can bring with it the good as well as the bad and the bad as well as the good (85). Consequently, it does not matter what Fortune brings; what matters is that the receiver of this Fate is prepared for any possible scenario. Notably, the skill to diagnose the ills when they arise is not universal, and is given to only a few men. However, it requires more than just the rare skill of recognizing the path of Fortune. To be a truly notable ruler, or human being in general, one must go beyond recognizing and preparing a plan to actually taking action. This is the point at which Pope Julius II and Cesare Borgia are praised by Machiavelli. Pope Julius entered his rule at a time when the temporal powers of the Pope were littleShow MoreRelatedBooks That Continue To Thrive Centuries After Their Initial1578 Words   |  7 Pagescases, controversy. In the 15th century, Niccolo Machiavelli composed a political treatise that has persisted primarily due to the questionable morality and brutal practices it promotes. Readers have spent centuries wrestling with this small but powerful book, trying to discern Machiavelli’s purpose, as well as how his writing has influenced political leaders since its publication. 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It’s possible to offer explanation in various endeavors that affect the humans in the modern setting using various concepts and thoughts as presented