Machiavelli - The Prince Explained In 3 Minutes

A nation-state can either be a republic or a principality and either old or new An old hereditary state that has been passed down the generations Is easy to rule but taking control and then holding on to a new state is difficult The difficulty is reduced if you personally supervise it An old hereditary state such as a monarchy can be taken by destroying the entire royal family This is what Alexander the Great did to conquer and hold on to the Persian Empire of Darius the third However states that are used to freedom must be crushed For those who are not yet princes it is possible to rise to become one by carrying out two steps Follow the example of those in the past who saw their opportunities and be well armed To keep hold of a new state securely all resistance must be destroyed by using cruel Swift and firm methods but then benefits to the people should be given gradually A Prince must win the favor of the people and dispel any hostility But he will only be truly secure when he can raise his own army to defend against all comers Mercenaries cannot be relied on neither can other people's armies To be successful a prince must read history study war and know his own land He must give the appearance of being good, but also know how to be evil He should not be afraid to be thought off as mean as giving liberally and spending freely will lead to ruin He also shouldn't worry about being thought of as cruel as fear is one of the only things he can control A Prince should be willing to use cunning if needed and deception if necessary He may or may not be loved, but as long as he is not hated. He is secure Fortresses are of little use as even though they can be used to defend against outsiders they do not stop you being betrayed by your own people A Prince must be purposeful determined and unwavering He must clearly follow one path or another He should encourage art and craft Commerce and agriculture Entertain his people with spectacles and festivities rewarding those who honor his state Only capable servants should be used by a prince and he should keep them under control Anybody who flatters must be avoided Machiavelli claimed that the once powerful princes of Italy lost their power not through misfortune, but by their own inaction and indecisiveness Fortune directs half of our actions, but the other half is left for us to direct through hardwork cautiousness and virtue Fortune needs to be beaten and dominated. It is often like a torrential river that cannot be stopped, but during periods of calm Preparations can be made to control and minimize the damage Machiavelli concludes by stating that a leader is needed that will follow the advice in the book To conquer Italy and free her from the barbarians

Channel: Eudaimonia

Views: 637,905

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Id: IHcqIl8vT44

Length: 3min 11sec (191 seconds)

Published: Sat Jan 13 2018