Concerning Things for Which Men, and Especially Princes are Praised or Blamed
Concerning Things for Which Men, and Especially Princes are Praised or Blamed
In Chapter 15 of The Prince, Machiavelli writes, "Anyone who neglects what is done for what ought to be done, sooner brings about his ruin rather than his preservation. A man who wishes to act entirely in a virtuous way is soon destroyed among so much that is evil in the world. … Hence a prince who wishes to survive must know how to do wrong, and how to do or not do wrong according to necessity" (24). This crooked advice stands in stark contrast to King Solomon—the wisest and wealthiest ruler in history—when he writes, "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them" (New Oxford Annotated Bible, Prov. 11.3). More than "twenty-five of the world’s foremost biblical scholars" ("About") of the NET Bible: Full Notes Edition, write in a side note, "This contrasts two lifestyles, affirming the value of integrity. The upright live with integrity—blamelessness—and that integrity leads them in success and happiness. Those who use treachery will be destroyed by it" (Prov. 11.3 sn). Considering that Machiavelli was neither regarded as wealthy nor attained the esteemed status of a sovereign ruler like King Solomon, it seems reasonable to conclude that his insights were misguided, and that his failure to achieve true power may stem from his disregard for the wisdom found in proverbs. Solomon goes on to say, "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever follows perverse ways will be found out" (New Oxford Annotated Bible, Prov. 10.9). The irony lies in the fact that Machiavelli is condemned by his own words and the mediocrity of his influence, which never lead to his rule like that of Solomon.
In Book 3, Section 7 of Meditations, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, hailed as Rome's ninth-most-wealthy emperor (Slade) and philosopher-king, who reigned with integrity between 161 and 180 AD (Crook), writes, "Never regard something as doing you good if it makes you betray a trust, or lose your sense of shame, or makes you show hatred, suspicion, ill will, or hypocrisy, or a desire for things best done behind closed doors" (31), and in Book 7, Section 15, "No matter what anyone says or does, my task is to be good. Like gold or emerald or purple repeating to itself, 'No matter what anyone says or does, my task is to be emerald, my color undiminished'" (87). The reality that Machiavelli is contradicted by such immensely powerful and legendary rulers emphasizes the limitations of his views on power and governance, suggesting true authority and power belongs to those who anchor themselves in virtue and integrity rather than cunning and manipulation.
Unlike constitutional monarchies—such as those in post-19th-century Europe—where monarchs served a more ceremonial and symbolic role while elected politicians governed, King Solomon and Marcus Aurelius ruled under absolute monarchies, which held direct executive, legislative, and judicial power (Issitt, par. 1). These examples are sufficient to counter and contradict Machiavelli's misguided teachings even though Machiavelli uses the term "prince" in a political sense. A clearer comparison may be to consider Marcus Tullius Cicero—an active political leader and philosopher—who serves as a direct contradiction to Machiavelli's assertion that a "prince who wishes to survive must know how to do wrong" (24). Cicero writes, "But for all cases we have one rule, with which I desire you to be perfectly familiar: that which seems expedient must not be morally wrong [dishonorable]; or, if it is morally wrong [dishonorable], it must not seem expedient [beneficial]" (3.81). But I digress, Cicero was beheaded and did not survive. So, I submit to you this reasoning: "A monarchy is a political system" (Issitt, par. 1); therefore, King Solomon and Emperor Marcus Aurelius serve as the best examples against Machiavelli's fifteenth chapter.
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