Virt*
In Machiavelli s The Prince, in order to be a successful ruler, a statesman must possess virt*. The Machiavellian principle of virt* begins with the idea that a ruler must be prudent and cautious, and in times of peace he may be non-violent. Yet, if the situation calls for it, he needs to take bold, decisive action, at any cost. It can be appropriate to lie and make false promises, as well as to act in a manner that seems violent and ruthless. The essential need for political order is to be sacrificed for no reason, moral or immoral. Instead, political decisions are to be based on the means by which to retain political power, and the political practicality of those results. Machiavelli feels that the world is comprised of unpredictable forces that are working against each other, and a leader needs to create an order out of these forces. He believes that by nature human beings are more inclined toward evil than good, and so it is impossible to do what is only morally right. If a ruler tries to proceed in this fashion, he is bound for failure because of the impossibility of adjusting continuously to the ever-changing circumstances. A ruler only has to reflect the human nature of a state, to know how to act.
In order for a ruler to exemplify the meaning of virt* he must be committed to doing what need be. He must realize that a ruler is only as strong as the foundation on which he builds his political power. It is of the utmost importance to realize that even if at a present time things are peaceful, situations change repeatedly. Fate and fortune can be the ruin of a ruler. Yet, if a ruler uses judgment and is prepared at all times for whatever circumstances may occur, fate and fortune can be controlled. War is to never be avoided, regardless of its justness/injust ness; avoidance only weakens one s position. A war is to be won by force or fraud, whatever means necessary.
A ruler also needs the support of the populace to possess a solid foundation. There are numerous ways to win the support of the populace. They vary so much depending on the circumstances they cannot be reduced to a formula, and, consequently I will not go into them here. I will simply conclude by saying a ruler needs to have the support of the populace, for otherwise he has nothing to fall back on in times of adversity (Machiavelli, 521). In order to keep the populace secure, it is imperative to set up a well-ordered healthy state. While it is sometimes sensible to use cruel ways to achieve desired results, Machiavelli feels there should be a distinction between well-used and abusive cruelty. Well-used cruelty should only be used at the beginning to secure power and benefit one s subjects. Abusive cruelty is excessive, continuous, and not in the name of retaining power successfully. So the conclusion is: If you take control of the state, you should make a list of all the crimes you have to commit, and do them at once. That way you will not have to commit new atrocities every day, and you will be able to, by not repeating your evil deeds, to reassure your subjects and win their support by treating them well. He who acts otherwise, either out of squeamishness or out of bad judgment has to hold a bloody knife in his hands at all times (Machiavelli, 520). If one has a well-ordered happy state, then the means used to achieve this condition will be seen as honorable.
As a ruler one can be loved and feared. While it can be beneficial to be both, it is most crucial to be feared. If the subjects fear the ruler, the ruler controls the subjects. …I maintain that it is much safer to be feared than loved, if you have to do without one of the two. For of men one can, in general, say this: They are ungrateful, fickle, deceptive and deceiving, avoiders of danger, eager to gain, As long as you serve their interests they are devoted to you (Machiavelli, 534). Yet, it is not prudent to be hated. It is possible to achieve fear without hate by not taking the possessions of one s subjects, or their wives. You will only be hated if you seize the property or the women of your subjects and citizens. Whenever you have to kill someone, make sure you have a suitable excuse and an obvious reason; but, above all else, keep your hands off other people s property; for men are quicker to forget the death of their father than the loss of their inheritance (Machiavelli, 535). Also, though it can be beneficial to be thought generous, to act generous can be the downfall of a ruler. So we see a ruler cannot seek to benefit from a reputation as generous [questa virt* del liberale] without harming himself. Recognizing this, he ought, if wise, not to mind being called miserly. For, as time goes by, he will thought to be as growing ever more generous, because people will recognize as a result of his parsimony he is able to live on his own income, maintain an adequate army, and undertake new initiatives without imposing new taxes (Machiavelli, 535). If generous, one will waste all his resources, and eventually need to impose crushing taxes to raise revenue. If frugal, all needs are met, and not at the expense of the long-term populace support.
Machiavellian virt* considers the conquest of a new territory of the highest good. If one is to acquire a territory that is far away, and where a different language is spoken, some policies of virt* should be to be followed. One of the best policies, and one of the most effective, is for a new ruler to go live in his new territories (Machiavelli, 505). This helps ensure his control over the officials so they don t exert their own power, and also keeps the ruler close by if situations arise. A second excellent policy is to send colonies to settle in one or two places; they will serve to tie your new subjects down (Machiavelli, 505). Sending colonies, instead of armies, is more inexpensive and lends itself to less resistance from the citizens. I conclude such colonies are economical, reliable, and do not give excessive grounds for resistance; those who suffer by their establishment are in no position to resist, being poor and scattered, as I have said. There is a general rule to be noted here: People should either be caressed or crushed (Machiavelli, 505). Also, for political success, a statesman should set up alliances with weaker powers close by. By protecting these weaker states, he builds loyalty in them, and they can ban together to crush the stronger powers. The Romans, in the regions they seized, obeyed these principles admirably. They settled colonies; were friendly towards the weaker rulers, without building up their strength; and did not allow foreign powers to build up support (Machiavelli, 506). A ruler should also have trusted advisors to speak to him in truth. Flattery is not desirable. Yet, these advisors must understand the division between truth and excessive frankness, and speak accordingly. It is not appropriate for everyone to speak truthfully to a ruler.
Virt*, in Machiavellian terms, are ways to retain political power. A statesman must always serve the preservation of political power before the truth. He is not concerned with morality, only that the decisions hinge on political affairs of the state. He embodies violence, courageousness, and cunningness. Since a ruler, then, needs to know how to make good use of beastly qualities, he should take as his models among the animals both the fox and the lion, for the lion does not know how to avoid traps, and the fox is easily overpowered by wolves (Machiavelli 537). He rules in fear, intimidation, and only the appearances of just qualities are necessary. He must satisfy the public only to keep his reputation. Virt* does not include being overly cruel, or overly generous. He must not be hated, or men will seek revenge if their possessions or wives are taken away. Also, if he become generous he runs the risk of losing the populace support, either by not being able to satisfy all their wants, or by needing to tax them when financial resources are wasted in generosity. A successful statesman will behave in a fashion that wins him the support of his citizens, but also serves his greatest priority, remaining politically powerful.