Machiavelli's Prince Is Merely an Exercise in Cynicism. Discuss.

Machiavellis Prince is merely an exercise in cynicism. Discuss. Machiavelli is a piece that has gone through history despised, demonized and reviled. To wipe out ones actions deemed Machiavellian is no great compliment. However, while some have proclaimed him to be the preceptor of Barabbas (Butterfield 1955), I believe that they es consecrate to take Machiavelli out of context, and also to purposefully misinterpret his arguments to seduce emotive appeals to a morality that Machiavelli rejects (Parkinson 1955, Lukes 2001, Butterfield 1940). To call Machiavelli cynical is to say that he holds an overtly scornful, or jaded negativity ; sort of Machiavelli holds a view of human nature that, while undeniably not optimistic, is pragmatic, and from which he forms an alternative moral statute that is far-off more reliant upon the realistic and concrete, than the intangible and moral (Lukes 2001 p. 561). Machiavelli is well characterised as a cynic by those who choose to coolly interpret his work, and who hold him up as a idol of immorality and shady dealings.

For such people Machiavelli is a cynic because he rejects the notions of morality and any lofty ideals of an international code of ethics which should govern the actions of statesmen; instead they argue he appeals to our basest emotions, power-grabbing and exploiting whenever in that respect is personal gain to be made. They indict his claims of success by exposing what are thought to be his alter aspirations (Lukes 2001 p. 561), and make it face as if Machiavelli is the source of the misers sins and ingenuities (Butterfield 1940 p.104). However this is a shallow reading of his work, and one that I believe is in many a(prenominal) cases plagued by misinterpretations and a lack of context (Parkinson 1955). The relationship amongst Machiavellis ethics and politics is less startling than is supposed(a) (Parkinson 1955). As Professor Butterfield argues it takes only one twist of the screw-and a touch of spite-to turn... If you want to get a full essay, narrate it on our website: Orderessay

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