The Prince - Machiavelli (Week 1 Study Guide)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, people, and terms from Machiavelli's The Prince as presented in Week 1 study notes.

Nicolo Machiavelli

Italian diplomat and writer born in Florence on May 3, 1469; died in Florence on June 22, 1527.

The Prince

Machiavelli's political treatise on how a prince gains, holds, and maintains power.

Fortune

External, unpredictable factor that can aid or thwart rulers; Machiavelli argues it should be relied on less than personal ability.

Ability

A ruler’s personal capacity to shape events and overcome obstacles; in Machiavelli’s view, fortune is less reliable than ability.

Valor

Rising to power through bold, courageous action; difficult to achieve, but easier to keep once attained.

Moses

An example cited by Machiavelli among those who rose through valor; not to be discussed here because Moses acted by divine will.

Cesare Borgia

Duke Valentino, the prince who used fortune to gain the state and then laid solid foundations; example discussed in Chapter VII.

Agathocles of Syracuse

King who seized Syracuse by deception and massacre; used ruthlessness to take power

Cruelty (at one blow)

Cruel actions that are applied once to secure the state and then not repeated.

Cruelty multiplied over time

Cruel actions repeated over time that erode a prince’s stability and legitimacy.

Unchanging prince

A prince should remain steadfast and avoid changes caused by external circumstances so as not to appear weak.

The people and the nobles

Two opposing groups in a city; their conflict can lead to principality, self-government, or anarchy

Consent of the people

A prince should derive and maintain sovereignty with the people’s support for stability and obedience

End-justifies-the-means

The idea that a prince may use necessary means to achieve and preserve power, even if those means are harsh or immoral

prudence

A prince should know when and how to act incorrectly if necessary to preserve the state

Liberality vs. meanness

Better to be perceived as mean than liberal; generosity can provoke burdens and hatred, while being seen as mean can deter attacks

Reproach without hatred

Fear can protect a prince; love is unreliable because obligations can be broken; avoid provoking hatred

Clement vs. Cruelty

A prince should seek clemency but not abuse it; sometimes cruelty is necessary to keep the state and unity

Love vs. Fear

It is preferable to be both loved and feared, but if one must choose, fear is the more reliable means of maintaining power

Stop observing faith when necessary

A prince should suspend religious observance if it harms the principality or causes division; politics may require deception

Dissembling

The act of disguising one’s true character and presenting an image of virtue to maintain power

Appearance vs. Reality of Virtue

A prince may appear virtuous and keep essential qualities by necessity, even if not truly virtuous

Politically unite Italy

Machiavelli’s push for a politically united Italy under a single ruler or strong centralized authority.

United army

To achieve a united Italy, the Italian city-states should be united under a prince who commands a single, common army.