Machiavelli's Political Thought

Flashcards covering key vocabulary from lecture notes on Niccolò Machiavelli's political thought, including concepts like Virtù, Fortuna, republicanism, and statecraft.

Janus (Machiavelli's analogy)

The Roman god with two faces, one looking to the past for learning and the other to the future for preparation, symbolizing a wise leader's perspective.

Prudence (Machiavelli)

Wisdom that stems from past experience (memory), present judgment, and future foresight.

Parsimony

The virtue of careful spending and avoiding waste, which Machiavelli advises rulers to practice to maintain state strength.

Machiavelli on Generosity

Rulers should avoid excessive generosity to win affection, as it drains the treasury, necessitates heavy taxes, and ultimately weakens the state and angers the people.

Fortuna (Machiavelli)

Luck, chance, or the unpredictable forces of nature and history, which Machiavelli believed controls about half of human affairs.

Virtù (Machiavelli)

Political skill, ability, courage, and practical effectiveness; the capacity to boldly read situations, shape events, and act decisively, often prioritized over traditional moral goodness.

Relationship between Fortuna and Virtù

Machiavelli argued that while fortune (Fortuna) controls half of human affairs, human skill and bold action (Virtù) can prepare for and 'beat back' fortune when it turns dangerous.

Power (Machiavelli)

The central element of politics, focusing on how rulers gain, hold, and maintain control in the real world.

The State (Machiavelli)

Organized political authority, whose stability and survival are paramount and can justify a ruler's actions.

Foundations of Power (Machiavelli)

Laws and religion, which keep people disciplined, united, instill fear of divine judgment, and build trust among citizens.

Principality (Machiavelli)

A form of government ruled by a single person or family, known as a prince.

Machiavelli on Fear vs. Love

It is better for a prince to be feared than loved, but emphatically never hated, as fear can be controlled through fair punishment while love is unreliable.

Republic (Machiavelli)

A form of government where citizens share power, participate in lawmaking, and live without domination, with an emphasis on economic equality and strong institutions.

Effectual Truth

Machiavelli's method of studying politics as it actually operates, based on historical examples and facts, rather than idealized philosophical theories.

Freedom (Machiavelli's republican sense)

Living without domination, collectively shaping laws, and requiring broad popular participation and political equality to limit elite control.

Social and Political Conflict (Machiavelli)

A natural and healthy dynamic within a republic, which, when channeled by good institutions, fosters civic discipline, prevents elite domination, and keeps the state dynamic.

Violence as Spectacle

The strategic use of public punishments and executions as performative acts by rulers to instill fear, impress the populace, and demonstrate state strength and control.

Paradox of Conquest

A conqueror gains power through violence but cannot maintain rule with constant violence; they must hide the violent beginning and establish legitimacy to stay in power.

Republicanism

The principle of self-government by citizens, promoting shared power and broad civic participation to prevent tyranny.

Oligarchy

A form of government where power is concentrated in the hands of a few elites, which Machiavelli often opposed as a threat to republican freedom.

Secular Politics

A political approach that separates governance and state affairs from religious influence and considerations.

Legitimacy (Political)

The rightful claim to rule, accepted by the governed, crucial for a stable state.

Force (Machiavelli's view)

The use of coercion or violence in politics, considered by Machiavelli as sometimes necessary to found, protect, or secure the state.

Fraud (Machiavelli's view)

Deception or cunning used by rulers as a necessary, albeit often immoral, tool to maintain power or achieve state objectives in a hostile political environment.

Necessity (Machiavelli)

The principle that actions, even those considered immoral or harsh, are justified if they are essential for the survival and stability of the state.

Political Realism (Machiavelli)

An approach to politics that focuses on understanding 'what is' rather than 'what ought to be,' analyzing power dynamics based on facts and reality.

Human Agency

The power of human action and choice to influence events and shape circumstances, particularly in the context of political leaders using virtù.

The Few (Machiavelli)

Refers to the political and economic elites within a state who Machiavelli believed often seek to dominate and concentrate power.

The Many (Machiavelli)

Refers to the common people or citizens within a state, whom Machiavelli saw as the primary guardians of republican government and freedom.

Checks and Balances

Institutional limitations designed to prevent any single group or branch of government from accumulating excessive power, crucial for maintaining republican liberty.

Corruption (Republican context)

The decay of republican values and institutions, leading to a loss of civic virtue and an increase in elite control, threatening the state's freedom and stability.

Necessary Cruelty

Limited harsh actions used by a ruler only when essential for securing immediate order and long-term stability for the state, preventing greater disorder.

Epistemology

The theory of knowledge, addressing how we acquire, validate, and understand things, relevant to Machiavelli's empirical approach to politics.

Human Nature (Machiavelli's understanding)

The belief that people are inherently self-interested, fickle, and often prone to being ungrateful or disloyal, necessitating a ruler's strategic actions.

Denaturalization (Political Thought)

The act of questioning or challenging what is commonly presented or accepted as 'natural' or inevitable in politics or society to understand underlying power structures.

Statecraft as a Stage

The concept that politics is a performance, where rulers act to control public perception and manage appearances, much like actors on a theatrical stage.

Publicity (Machiavelli)

The way leaders deliberately display power and actions to the public to gain respect, instill fear, and secure obedience.