Machiavelli in The Prince offers a double view of rulership. It is a way to change the conventional leader-toleader relationship. Machiavelli breaks tradition by stating that in order to understand rulers, one must be from the lower classes. This introduces new problems to the reader and introduces the dynamic between people and prince. (p.6). This relationship produces a double-layered perspective because neither the prince or the people are able to see the whole picture. Machiavelli’s politics are individualized because the people can’t be predicted. Machiavelli’s realistic political doctrine breaks from traditional political theory by allowing for real-world analysis, contextual accuracy and relevant historical examples.
This populist view focuses on people’s real-life relationship with their ruler. Machiavelli, rather than “constructing imaginary principalities and republics that have never been in practice or could ever be”, chooses to acknowledge “the huge gap between what people do and how they should behave” (p.48). Machiavelli reveals many important aspects of how to rule a populace through the prisms of his wisdom. The omnipresent idea of fear, as well as the fragility of control are among the most striking features.
Machiavelli’s tenets are illustrated by the circumstances around him. For example, Machiavelli says of the Spanish King that he “always plots and executes great enterprises” which has always left his subject bewildered and amazed, as they wait to see the outcome. He never leaves space between [enterprises] for people to plot continuously against him (p.68). This allows the government to govern without concern for uprisings. A wise ruler would rely on emotions he could control. This idea is different from previous social control ideas, as it relies on both reality and the opinion of those who are being controlled, not the ruler.
Machiavelli utilises the analysis and opinions of the people when giving advice on how to deal with mixed principalities. He suggests that “one the best policies?” is for the ruler to move into his new territory. The new ruler’s grip will be more stable and lasting. If they behave well, they have more to love about you. But if not they have even more to fear. In previous political philosophy, which had more malleable and vague citizens, it was not possible to acknowledge the reality of region-specific traditions and cultural institutions. Machiavelli emphasizes the highly personified and individualized nature of the people in his instructions, reinforcing that they are not figurative sheep but individuals.
The fact that the people are the ones being ruled is what creates the dynamic between ruler and citizen. Machiavelli acknowledges that people are unpredictable, by examining the dynamics of their relationship. His examples are constant reminders of the need to understand this dynamic and how people must be handled. Violence, cultural appreciation and other qualities define the essential qualities of an effective ruler. Fear is what holds men back because of their fear of punishment. This fear never goes away. The concept of founding violence also plays a major role in the relationship with the population. “To secure [territories], you only need to eliminate the survivors of the families of their former rulers. In all other aspects, it is best to keep the situation as it was and respect traditions that have been established” (p.8). Machiavelli explains very logically that the best way to create a stable impression of a ruler is to focus on the negative and spread out the positive. Machiavelli emphasizes the importance of the human nature between the ruler and the people.
Machiavelli also uses the vantage point of people to deal with seemingly everyday issues, like “subjects”. The ruler’s power is affected by “exactions”, which are a form of oppression. Machiavelli’s appraisal of local politics illustrates the thoroughness of this never-before-seen bottom up method. The reader can see the breadth of his lower-class perspective by examining the political strategies of all the major figures in history, from Caesar to the King of France. Machiavelli also shows that relying solely on one viewpoint can be a mistake. Human nature cannot be predicted from the mountains or valleys.
