Preidential Advisor

When we read the first couple chapters of The Prince it was hard to understand why Machiavelli was writing about the different types of Princedoms, but then in class when we discussed how his tactics compared to more current years that we as students know made reading all the more clear. After reading the entire book it is clear to me The Prince is almost the unofficial guide book to rulers of a country, it would be interesting to see how the book may change if there were the same type of book written about the leaders in the past decade from the current year.
My three lessons to the President as his advisor are as follows:

1. In chapter XV Machiavelli touches on the relationship between a leader and his subjects. It is obvious that a leader should try his hardest to stay on their good side because in places like the United States we as citizens can almost as easily terminate a leader as he was elected. Now besides being on good terms with one’s subjects he must find the line of being loved and being feared. It is better to be feared than loved in the words of Machiavelli because being feared has power whereas love can only hurt one in the long run by others that take advantage of your love. By being on good terms with one’s subjects he can be more secure of himself as their leader.

2. “Two ways of contending, one in ordinance with the laws, the other by force.” In other words maintaining peace in a state are either maintained by the laws of that state or the ruler can take it into his own hands and deal with it by force. The advice here is to learn when one must let the law take action or to take matters into one’s own hands. Things such as keeping the peace among one’s subjects the written laws of the state may not always be enough which is when the ruler must use the power he has to make things obedient among them. This will make things throughout the ruler’s time run everything smoothly by not having to deal with unimportant complications by his subjects.

3. The last lesson I would give to our new president is not one that was specifically discussed in the book but more the theme of the entire book; one that we discussed in class, “Ends justify the means” and do whatever it takes to get the job done. After discussing this I realize how many perceive Machiavelli as evil seeing as this can be a drastic measure where as not only one’s subjects but the entire world can hate him for. The “ends” are what kind of society we want and the “means” are how we are going to get there. Examples of presidents who have lied to the people to get things done such as Watergate, was only for the better good and is exactly what Machiavelli means by the ends justifying the means, the ends are what kind of society we want and the means how will we get there. This is the biggest advice to give; by following this rule it will either make or break the President because it will give him the power to do whatever he must to better society, which is the important key, to better society.