Machiavelli

Machiavelli

“Machiavelli poses the essential question about the relationship between leaders and followers: Is it more effective to enforce discipline by rigorously applying the laws and unhesitatingly exercising your power, or winning by the affection of your followers?” ( Ledeen). So is it better to be feared rather than to be loved? One may ask if it better to be feared and loved, but is it even possible for both to exist at once? Some may argue that fear is more reliable and stable against the actions of leaders that choose tactic of love, since it's not as easily broken or lost. Others may say fear can create corruption and power-hungry leaders, leading to unhappy people in an unsuccessful society. The Prince, written by Niccolo Machiavelli in 1513, explains how the primary goal of a prince should be to obtain and keep power.When Machiavelli wrote The Prince he dedicated it to Cesare Borgia, his ideal prince who gave him insight on how a prince should be viewed by his people. Machiavelli tells how any ruler who wishes to retain absolute power or control of his kingdom must use wisdom and skill, through fear rather than love.
It seemed that Hitler had always been in the right place at the right time and knew what to say in order to get the support of the Germans, tactics Niccolo Machiavelli would have thought of. Hitler believed that it is better for people to hate or be scared of him rather than being loved, causing the Germans to fear him so extensively, in return getting what he wanted- that the people under his rule would do anything. He gained all his power by “ unfairly blaming Jews for germany’s problems, wanting to destroy the entire race,” putting terror in the mind of his people (Daniel). A prince should inspire fear in such a fashion that if he do not win love he may escape hate,” but this was not the case for Hitler ( Machiavelli 76 ). Hitler knew that “love and fear can hardly exist together, and [he] must choose between them” and so he did ( Mach 76 ). The...

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