Critically analyze the interrelation of politics and ethics with special reference to
The Prince.
‘Eventually, the ends justify the means’; 1no matter how brutal, immoral, and cynical provisions
those means may appear. Machiavelli, the author of The Prince,’ is notoriously famous for this
proposition. What he meant by the ‘ends’ are the preeminent results for the sovereignty and
freedom of a state or perpetuity of power, and which pose a question of life and death. In the
meantime any provident king, politicians or military man must do whatever it takes without
tilting to popular morality or the appropriation of ‘good’ and ‘evil.’ Ultimately, he is looking at
the world from the vantage-point of utilitarian approach – the maximization of happiness or
preservation and stability of a community. The End, for Machiavelli, is stability, peace,
prosperity, freedom and progress, in order to garner these preeminent elements for a prince in his
principality must capitalize on every opportunity. As an anecdote, in ancient Rome, there were
many conspiracies against the states, like the famous poisoning a large chunk of masses or
Bacchanals which was discovered at the time of Macedonian War, Quintus Fabius Maximus
Verrucosus, the dictator in 3th century BC, punished without considering the multitude of
thousands of accomplices,2 many moralist would have publically exonerated the culprits,
however he did what it takes to preserve the state.
Machiavelli never believed in luck or at least strongly advised that a wise prince must not rely on
it. If someone finds himself out-of- nowhere on the throne, he then needs ‘virtu’ – his ability to
fight all odds which he calls ‘fortune’ at any price.3 Without ‘virtu’ a prince or someone preying
on power can never have or control it. Furthermore, ‘virtu’ can be appropriated as bravery,
cunningness, power and someone’s ability to impose his will on the ‘fortunes,’ Machiavelli
writes, ‘fortune’ is like a ‘violent river’ that can flood and destroy the earth, but when it is
tranquil, a leader must strive to conquer the river of fate, and ultimately, ‘fortune favors the
brave.’4 One of the princes Machiavelli loved and idealized was Césare Borgia, a brutal and
cunning price of Papal States. Machiavelli notes that in one of his meeting with the prince, some
enemies of the state were invited over for a feast but that was a set-up to lure them and ultimately
1
Machiavelli Niccolo, The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli, ed. W. K. Marriott, 2016th ed. (Lahore: Readings, n.d.),
www.readings.com.pk.
2
Niccolo Machiavelli, Discourses of Livy, 1516, http://constitution.org/mac/disclivy.pdf.
3
Peter Savingear, “Machiavelli: The Prince and Discources,” in The Political Classics, ed. Maurice Forsyth, Murray;
Keens-Soper, 1st ed. (Oxford, 1988), 96–119.
4
History.com Editiors, “Machiavelli,” in Https://Www.History.Com (https://www.history.com, 2020),
https://www.history.com/topics/renaissance/machiavelli.
killed them.5 He further writes, ‘Men must be either flattered or eliminated, because a man will
readily avenge a slight grievance, but not one that is truly severe.’6
Faith is a predominant factor for a ruler especially in Western parts of the world as of now,
which frames his personality and affects massively in a democracy at the polls, faith has a
synonymous affect as of morality and ethics. Nevertheless, Machiavelli advices sheer ‘satanic’
prepositions, he writes that the wise princes who had done great things have held good faith of
‘little account.’7 A prince can rule his kingdom with two things, by law or cunningness, it is
difficult to rule with principles so the latter is inevitable to utilize. When the preeminence of
bestial provisions is skyscraping, a prudent prince must have both attributes of a lion and a fox,
the bravery and the cunningness. Moreover, he stresses that it is vital to appear religious and
moral but when ‘fortune’ dictates otherwise; prince must be covertly pragmatic – beyond the
restrains of religion, ethics or popular morality.
5
Editiors.
Claudia Roth Peirpont, “The Florentine | The New Yorker,” The New Yorker, 2008,
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/09/15/the-florentine.
7
Niccolo, The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli.
6