Machiavelli

MACHIAVELLI
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Machiavelli
It is usually common for the political elite in government to advocate for particular ethics of leadership while they themselves do not necessarily conform to these same norms. Machiavelli articulates this phenomenon in his book ‘The Prince’ that connotes that for one to attain power he or her would have to infringe on some of the moral values that he held close to. He separates ideology/idealism and realism/reality.
The word Machiavellism has been crafted to depict a leadership’s choice or action whose implications should be evaluated by the outcome, justified by the phrase ‘the end justify the means’. The ideals can be put aside temporarily when demands so to achieve the set objectives or goals of a nation. In this context, Machiavelli justifies the use of deceit, political goes or even murder in a hyperbolized political position. According to Machiavelli, political and philosophical idealism written in such works as Plato’s, are what a leader ought to be but one that cannot be strictly adhered to. Unlike Plato’s philosophical king who ought to be gallant and virtuous to avoid moral decay in reference to Athens, Machiavelli uses a pragmatic approach of an autocratic Prince who is not keen on virtue and is not limited by rules of morality. Unwavering adherence to morals puts one at a disadvantage in a r...