POSC 120 - The Prince

w/ Dr. Haddad Spring 2025

Mirrors for Princes

the genre/tradition that this book is a part of

Humility Topos

rhetorical device that’s like a bow from the author to the reader (which the dedicatory letter was)

Virtu

New politics- lessons for rulers about courage, prudence, action

Virtue

Traditional meaning- religiously, morally, ethically, generously, and hospitality

Who did Machiavelli write the book for?

New princes who just gained their principality

Subject & Ruler relationship

Subjects LOOK up, Rulers LOOK down

What’s Machiavelli’s Epistemology

Visibility

What is knowledge?

Knowledge is perspectival

Theory of Action

Have to act quickly and prioritize the state above emotions

What is time?

Time is neutral; it brings good & bad & all we can control is what we do

Why must we always pay attention to time/\?

Because time is unknown and we have to pay attention to the now & not assume

What is liberty?

Hard to govern

What does Machiavelli think of religion?

He believe’s Christianity won’t help you lead beside it uniting the people

How does hate work?

What are Machiavelli’s thoughts on the military?

Mercenaries aren’t reliable and auxiliary arms will weigh you down

Fishing metaphor

What kind of net are you fishing with (political info)? And what are you catching?

Old/New Prince

Old - hereditary, New- knowns by own means how to obtain power

What are prepolitical assumptions?

Prepolitical assumptions condition (/restrain) political arguments

What is the spectacle of violence?

Fast, necessary, emotionally intense, visual. Impact: satisfy and stupefy the people

What is fear to political order?

Fear is productive of political order. Too much, they don’t care. Too much leads to being hated.

What is hate to political power?

Hate is corrosive/dangerous to political power. Leads to loss of political legitimacy

Economy of Violence

What’s the right measurement of fear, violence, emotional manipulation, and benefits?

When is violence best?

Violence is best when done early so everyone can move on and enjoy the benefits overtime

What about peace?

War is continuous, and peace is an illusion

Virtu/Fortuna

Virtu shapes outcome and Fortuna complicates outcome

Human Nature Claim

How to organize state/power & consider humans. What are people like?

Liberality / Parsimony

L: Giving freely (old virtue) (+ → -) / P: being measured, restraied in giving. (- →+)