Machiavelli’s Virtuous Society

Machiavelli intended The Prince to serve as a guide to creating and holding on to a principality. In it, he also characterizes a “good” society and the necessary tools for building one. Although Machiavelli conceives the republic as being the most practical form of government, he reasons that it is still possible to create a good society under a monarchy, as long as the leader of the monarchy follows the stipulated guidelines. Machiavelli realized that humans are predisposed to act perniciously and therefore it is the responsibility of the prince to exploit that nature in a way that will benefit society as a whole. In this way, Machiavelli’s prince is an ideal crafted from the actual, rather than an actual crafted from the ideal.

Machiavelli saw himself as a practical person and believed society should be handled in a practical, effective way. “The principal foundations of all states are good laws and good armies.” (Machiavelli, 115) It is the duty of the prince to lay out these firm foundations. Good laws are conditions set for an orderly life. Good armies are troops composed of the state’s own citizens, not foreign mercenaries who lack the spirit of soldiers defending their own lands. It is important for a state to be self-sufficient and independent.

Machiavelli goes on to define specifically the different characteristics an effective prince must possess in order for the society to be good. The all-encompassing term Machiavelli uses for the prince’s various necessary traits is “virtu.” A ruler in possession of “virtu,” while not completely free from the possible negative effects of fortune, is in far better position to deal with whatever circumstances may arise.

Intellect is a key aspect of the concept of virtu. A keen intellect will aid a ruler in search of greatness while ignorance will allow for misfortune and poor decisions. History should be studied rigorously and the actions of great men emulated. A smart ruler has advantages in all respects of political life. Confidence also plays a role in the formulation of virtu: “…it is better to be impetuous than cautious, because Fortune is a woman, and it is necessary, in order to keep her down, to beat her and to struggle with her. And it is seen that she more often allows herself to be taken over by men who are impetuous than by those who make cold advances.”(Machiavelli, 162)

Machiavelli also demands that his ruler of virtu be pragmatic. Attention should always be paid to activities abroad as they may affect the state or convey useful information. The ruler must be alert and perceptive as people may plot against him in a bid for power. Decisiveness plays a major role as well. Uncertainty is unacceptable for a ruler because it shows weakness.

As for the ethics of a ruler, Machiavelli argues that traditional morality is beautiful, yet often unattainable. While Machiavelli believes that the higher road should be taken whenever possible, there are situations that may require that a leader set aside traditional morality in favor of cunning and trickery. As a pragmatist, he sees morality as a barrier to success in certain cases: “…it is necessary for a prince who wishes to maintain his position to learn how not to be good.” (Machiavelli, 127) Machiavelli’s prince must learn how not to be good, because “…it is not necessary for a prince to have all of the above-mentioned qualities, but it is very necessary for him to appear to have them.” (Machiavelli, 135) As a leader, the prince is subject to specific standards by the people and must always have a favorable and consistent public image.

Machiavelli urges a policy of adaptability for the prince, defending the opinion that each situation requires a different response. This is how he justifies seemingly wicked actions taken by great rulers, but it’s also a way of effectively dealing with Fortune, as stated before. He asserts that while cruelty for its own sake is not admirable, cruelty employed temporarily for the preservation