Machiavelli’s The Prince and the Modern Executive Essay -- Machiavelli

The Prince and the Modern Executive  Ã‚      Few question The Prince’s place in the canon of western literature. That it marks a turning point in our collective history, the origin of the study of politics as a science (Pollock 43), is alone enough to warrant its classification as a "Great Book. Its author, Niccolo Machiavelli, a contemporary of Copernicus, is generally accepted as an early contributor to the scientific revolution, because he looked at power and the nature of sovereignty through the eyes of a scientist, focused completely on the goal without regard for religion and morals and ethics. Machiavelli taught that the way princes actually do govern often differs substantially from than the way they ought to govern, according to medieval Christian virtues. Sir Frederick Pollock wrote that in Machiavelli we find "for the first time since Aristotle, the pure passionless curiosity of the man of science. We find the separation of Ethics and Politics†¦Machiavelli takes no account of morality" (43). Machiave lli considers a successful ruler to be above morality, since the safety and expansion of the state are the supreme objectives. There had not been such a frank rejection of morality since the Greek Sophists. His ideas are in stark contrast with traditional church teachings. It is no wonder that The Prince was added to the Index of banned books and even today remains one of the most criticized and controversial books ever written. It is a scientific investigation into the tactics of retaining power. It is about application of power in the pursuit a greater goal. The Prince is, above all, about leadership. Though it is doubtful that Machiavelli realized the far reaching impact of his work. Its application is timeless and parti... ...l to read The Prince and, if they have already read it, read it again. As with all truly "Great Books," each successive reading reveals fresh new ideas and insights. The Prince, though disturbingly cold and frank at times, is no different.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited Butterfield, Herbert. The Statecraft of Machiavelli. New York: MacMillan, 1956. Jones, W. T. Masters of Political Thought. Ed. Edward, McChesner, and Sait. Vol. 2. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1947. Lewis, Wyndham. The Lion and the Fox: The Role of the Hero in the Plays of Shakespeare. London: Methuen, 1951. Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Trans. Hill Thompson. Norwalk: The Easton Press, 1980. Pollock, Frederick. An Introduction to the History of the Science of Politics. London: MacMillan, 1935. Ruffo-Fiore, Silvia. Niccolo Machiavelli. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1982.