Niccolo Machiavelli

NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI The Prince One should never permit a disorder to persist in order to avoid a war, for war is not avoided thereby, but merely deferred to one's own disadvantage. (Chapter 3) He who causes another to become powerful ruins himself, for he brings such a power into being either by design or by force, and both of these elements are suspect to the one whom he has made powerful. (ch. 3) In republics there is greater vigor, greater hatred, greater desire for revenge, and the memory of earlier freedom cannot and will not let them rest. (ch. 4) It must be realized that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more uncertain of success, or more dangerous to manage than the establishment of a new order of government. (ch. 6) . . . all armed prophets have succeeded and all unarmed ones have failed; for . . . people are by nature changeable. It is easy to persuade them about some particular matter, but it is hard to hold them to that persuasion. Hence it is necessary to provide that when they no longer believe, they can be forced to believe. (ch. 6) . . . a wise Prince cannot and should not keep his pledge when it is against his interest to do so and when his reasons for making the pledge are no longer operative. If all men were good, this would be a bad precept, but since they are evil and would not keep a pledge to you, then you need not keep yours to them. (ch. 18). It would be well for (the Prince) to seem and, actually, to be merciful, faithful, humane, frank, and religious. But he should preserve a disposition which will make a reversal of conduct possible in case the need arises. (ch. 18) (The Prince) must stick to the good as long as he can, but, being compelled by necessity, he must be ready to take the way of evil. (ch. 18) The mob is always impressed by appearances and by results; and the world is composed of the mob. (ch. 18) (The Prince) will engender contempt if he is fickle, frivolous, effeminate, cowardly, and irresolute . . . . The Prince must worry about hidden conspiracies, against which he will find security by avoiding hatred and contempt and by keeping the people satisfied. (ch. 19) . . . In order to embark upon greater enterprises, always in the name of religion, (Ferdinand of Aragon) resorted to pious cruelty . . . . Thus he has always planned and executed great things which have filled his subjects with wonder and admiration and have kept them preoccupied. (ch. 21) God is unwilling to do everything Himself, lest He deprive us of our free will and of that portion of glory that belongs to us. (ch. 26)