The Prince

Lore & Background

From Machiavelli's correspondence, a version was being written in 1513, using a Latin title, De Principatibus (Of Principalities). The printed version was not published until 1532, five years after Machiavelli's death. This was carried out with the permission of the Medici pope Clement VII, but controversy had swirled about his writings long before then. The Prince is sometimes claimed to be one of the first works of modern philosophy, especially modern political philosophy, in which practical effect is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. Its worldview came in direct conflict with the dominant Catholic and scholastic doctrines of the time, particularly those on politics and ethics.

Reader's Guide

The Prince starts by describing its subject. In the first sentence, Machiavelli uses the word 'state' (Italian stato) to cover 'all forms of organization of supreme political power, whether republican or princely'. Machiavelli explains that The Prince is about princedoms, indicating that he has written about republics elsewhere, which is a reference to the Discourses on Livy. He distinguishes new princedoms from established hereditary princedoms.

He deals with hereditary princedoms quickly in Chapter 2, saying that they are much easier to rule. For such a prince, 'unless extraordinary vices cause him to be hated, it is reasonable to expect that his subjects will be naturally well disposed towards him'. New princedoms are either totally new or 'mixed', meaning that they are new parts of an older state. Machiavelli generalizes that there were several virtuous Roman ways to hold a newly acquired province.

He notes the 'natural and ordinary desire to acquire' and states, 'if an injury is to be done to a man, it should be so severe that the prince is not in fear of revenge'. In some cases, the old king of the conquered kingdom depended on his lords; these are easy to enter, but difficult to hold. When the kingdom revolves around the king, it is difficult to enter, but easy to hold. Machiavelli advises the ruler to ruin conquered free states, stating that if a prince does not destroy a city, he can expect 'to be destroyed by it'.

Princes who rise through their own virtue (virtù) rather than fortune (fortuna) tend to have a hard time rising to the top, but once they reach the top they are very secure.

Did You Know?

• Many commentators have viewed that one of the main themes of The Prince is that immoral acts are sometimes necessary to achieve political glory.
• Machiavelli illustrates his reasoning using remarkable comparisons of classical, biblical, and medieval events, including many positive references to the murderous career of Cesare Borgia.
• The Prince is the most remembered of Machiavelli's works, and the most responsible for the later pejorative use of the word 'Machiavellian'.
• In its use of near-contemporary Italians as examples of people who perpetrated criminal deeds for political ends, Leo Strauss compared the lesser-known work, the Life of Castruccio Castracani, to The Prince.