Machiavelli Lecture Review

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the Machiavelli lecture, including definitions of political terms, Machiavelli's views on leadership, governance, human nature, and political strategies.

Janus

The Roman god with two faces, representing a wise leader looking to the past to learn and to the future to prepare.

Prudence (Machiavelli)

Wisdom derived from past experience, present judgment, and future foresight, essential for a good leader.

Parsimony

The virtue of careful spending and avoiding waste, as depicted in Cesare Ripa’s Iconologia.

Wasteful Generosity (Machiavelli)

A practice rulers should avoid, as it drains the treasury, forces heavy taxes, and creates public resentment.

Hermes

The messenger god, symbolizing skill, learning, and clever action.

Fortuna (Concept)

Luck, chance, or the unpredictable forces of nature and history that control about half of human affairs.

Virtù (Machiavelli)

Political skill, human ability, courage, and practical skill; the capacity to boldly read situations and shape events.

Machiavelli's Advice on Fortuna

Leaders should be bold and prepared to 'beat back' fortune when it turns dangerous, rather than relying on luck alone.

Sapientia (Wisdom)

A calm, seated woman holding a mirror and a book, symbolizing knowledge and self-awareness.

Foundations of Power (Machiavelli)

Laws and religion, which keep people disciplined and united, and religion adds fear of God and builds trust.

Principalities

States ruled by a single person or family, where the prince must manage the people's love, fear, and hatred.

Fear vs. Love (Machiavelli)

Machiavelli argued it is safer for a prince to be feared than loved, but never hated, as fear can be controlled.

Republics (Machiavelli)

Governments where citizens share power, freedom means no one person can dominate, and laws are made collectively.

Economic Equality (Republics)

Important for a republic's stability, preventing the rich from dominating the state.

Conflict (Healthy in Republics)

Social and political strife that is natural and beneficial when guided by good institutions, preventing elite domination and fostering civic discipline.

Effectual Truth

Machiavelli's approach to studying politics as it truly operates, focusing on real results and powerful impressions rather than ideal theories.

Freedom (Machiavelli's View)

Living without domination and collectively shaping laws, requiring broad participation and limits on elite control.

Violence as Spectacle

Public punishments and executions staged as performances to instill fear, impress the populace, and demonstrate a ruler's strength.

Paradox of Conquest

A conqueror wins by violence but must conceal the violent beginning and establish legitimacy to maintain power.

Rome (Machiavelli's Model)

Machiavelli's preferred model of a strong republic and empire, characterized by expansionism and freedom for the many rather than nobility.

Power (Political Term)

The ability to rule or control.

The State

Organized political authority.

Republicanism

Self-government by citizens where power is shared, not held by a monarch.

Freedom (Political Definition)

The condition of having no rule by tyranny.

Oligarchy

Rule by a few elites.

Popular Government

A system where power is shared with the people.

Secular Politics

Politics that is separate from religion.

Legitimacy

A rightful claim to rule.

Force (in Politics)

The use of violence in political affairs.

Fraud (in Ruling)

Deception used by rulers to maintain power.

Stability (Government)

The security and long-lasting order of a government.

Authority

Accepted political power.

Necessity (State Survival)

Acting for the survival or security of the state, often justifying harsh decisions.

Politics as Conflict

The view that politics is fundamentally a struggle over power between various groups.

Realism (Machiavellian)

Focusing on political facts and realities as they are, rather than ideals or how they should be.

Equality (Political)

Having the same legal and political rights.

Arbitrary Rule

The exercise of power without laws or formal constraints.

Human Agency

The power of human action or choice to influence events.

Prudence (Political Judgment)

Wise political judgment, crucial for leaders navigating complex situations.

Adaptability (Political)

The ability of leaders to change with conditions and adjust to changing circumstances.

Opportunity (Political)

The right moment for action, which a wise leader must seize.

Control over Fortune

Humans have only a partial ability to master fortune; they can prepare and adapt but not fully control it.

The Few

Political and economic elites who seek to control power.

The Many

The common people who often seek freedom and protection from domination.

Checks and Balances

Mechanisms or institutions that limit power and prevent its concentration.

Popular Participation

Citizens' involvement in politics and decision-making.

Corruption (Republics)

The decay of republican values and civic virtue, a danger to self-government.

Anti-Oligarchy

Opposition to the rule by a small group of elites because it concentrates power.

Collective Power

Power that is shared by the people within a political system.

Conquest

The act of expanding power by taking territory or defeating enemies by force.

Empire

The expansion of political power over territories and other peoples.

Founding Violence

The use of force sometimes necessary to create a state or establish a new order.

Necessary Cruelty

Limited harsh actions or violence used by a ruler to secure order and stability, preventing greater disorder.

Military Discipline

The order and training within military and citizen forces, essential for defense and state stability.

Epistemology

The theory of knowledge, studying how we know things or acquire understanding.

Human Nature (Machiavellian View)

A belief that people are naturally self-interested, often bad, and motivated by power.

Denaturalization

The act of questioning what is assumed to be 'natural' or inherent in politics or society.

Graphic/Spectacular Elements (Politics)

Visual and dramatic ways of presenting political ideas, often used by rulers to communicate power and influence perception.

Statecraft as a Stage

The metaphor that politics is like a performance, where rulers act to control public perception and manage appearances.

Publicity (Political)

The way leaders display power and gain respect or fear from the public by managing their public image.