Reflection: Week Two

Machiavelli’s The Prince is a great starting point for lively debate over the complex issues of national leadership, sovereignty, and international relations as a whole. Machiavelli is perhaps one of the most controversial and misunderstood scholars in political history. The term “Machiavellian” is thrown around a lot, mostly by over-zealous high school (or yes even college) students wanting to impress teachers. “The ends justify the means.” “It is better to be feared than loved.” These are commonly quoted mottos for a Machiavellian character. However, it is hard to truly grasp the spirit of Machiavelli’s theory without thoroughly examining The Prince as an entire work of political art.

In class, we were cleverly tricked into representing the antithesis of our original opinion on Machiavelli’s political theory. This is an effective exercise when trying to really dig into the core of Machiavelli’s thoughts and ideas. While I was originally standing up to defend Machiavelli’s pragmatism, this nagging emotional feeling quickly drew me to the other side of the room. In truth, the reason I wanted to defend Machiavelli’s arguments was because it was too difficult to articulate my moral apprehension. This drew me into an even deeper analysis of the foundational basis surrounding Machiavellian theory: does regard for morality and ethics as a leader make you weak? Is there a way for what is smart and what is right to go hand in hand?

It is very easy for scholars and politicians to academically isolate areas of thought. For example, some say politics is a strictly legal and pragmatic concern. Morality is not relevant. You cannot be both smart and righteous. Truly, Machiavelli stands out in history as the first popular advocate of this way of thinking. Every time I hear this, I have this persistent need to disagree. But I bite my tongue because if I seem emotional or compassionate, clearly I must not be pragmatic or intelligent. This is an assumption I hope is changing in the world of politics. In reading and following politics and government, the leaders I admire most are the ones that have managed to be both ethical and effective. While I cannot hope to fully explain how this compromise can be carried out in this one reflection, you can expect me to be pondering this ultimate goal in every topic we discuss this year. My hope is that in studying other leaders in history, I can develop and justify my own political opinion on the issue. What is right and what is smart can and should go hand in hand.