Modern Political Thought (Exam 1)

Types of states

Hereditary and New

Hereditary state

stable state, easy to control

New state

unstable state, hard to control

Key Machiavelli “The Prince” Concepts

1.) Types of States

2.) Virtù vs Fortuna

3.) Maintaining Power

4.) Fear vs Love

5.) Appearance vs Reality

6.) Cruelty

7.) Free Cities

Virtù

Skill, adaptability, strategic intelligence

Fortune

luck, chance

What do BEST rulers rely on according to “The Prince”?

Virtù > Fortune

How to Maintain Power

• Be decisive

• Avoid half-measures

• Control enemies completely

• Don’t rely on others (armies, allies)

Is Fear or Love better?

Ideally be both feared and loved, but it’s safer to be FEARED than loved

Appearance vs Reality

• You don’t need to be good

• You MUST appear good

When is cruelty okay?

This is okay if:

• Used ONCE

• Used strategically

According to Machiavelli’s “The Prince”, what is BAD when CONSTANT?

Cruelty is bad when …

Cruelty leads to WHAT when constant?

This leads to HATRED when constant

Free Cities

Hardest cities to control

Why are free cities hardest to control?

“Unforgetfulness of liberty” explains …

What is the main idea of Machiavelli’s “The Prince?”

“Do what works, not what is morally right” is the main idea of …

What is the core idea of Machiavelli’s “Discourses on Livy”?

“Republics are better than princes for long-term freedom” is the core idea of …

Key Concepts of Machiavelli’s “Discourses on Livy”

1.) Conflict is GOOD

2.) People vs Elites

3.) Laws > Leaders

4.) Republic = Freedom

5.) Citizen Armies

What does “The Prince” give a tutorial on?

“How to gain power” is a tutorial for WHICH book?

What does “Discourses” give a tutorial on?

“How to preserve freedom” is a tutorial for WHICH book?