Machiavelli Questions

1. Which of the following would be most successful in business today? And what kind of business would they run (Internet startup, chain store, international conglomerate, NGO, mafia)? Remirro da Orca (chapter 7), Oliverotto da Fermo (chapter 8) Cesare Borgia.

Ramiro d’Orco, Oliverotto da Fermo, and Cesare Borgia are three very noteworthy people that are talked about in The Prince.

Ramiro d’Orco “a swift and cruel man.” (Chapter VII) During his time, Romagana was being ruled by weak rulers who “rather plundered their subjects than ruled them, and gave them more cause for disunion than for union.” (Chapter VII) Ramiro d’Orco was given the fullest power by the Duke Valentino, who was otherwise known as Cesare Borgia, to take over Romagna. In just a short time, Ramiro d’Orco restored peace and unity to Romagna with a huge success. Because d’Orco was successful at restoring peace and unity, he could be a present-day political leader and restore our country to what it should be. The chaos that is going on in the political aspect of our country could be controlled and lessened with the help of d’Orco. He could eradicate the problems that our country is facing and propose new solutions to move us into the future.

Oliverotto da Fermo was left an orphan and raised by his uncle, Giovanni Foglianni. In the early days of his youth, he was sent to fight under Pagolo Vitelli. It was the hope that under Vitelli’s discipline, Fermo could abtain a high position in the military profession. “After Pagolo died, he fought under his brother Vitellozzo, and in a very short time, being endowed with wit and a vigorous body and mind, he became the first man in his profession” (Chapter VIII). Fermo was seized by Vitelleschi and Vitellozzo. Fermo went to visit Giovanni Foglianni and stayed in his house. He also “gave a solemn banquet to which he invited Giovanni Fogliani and the chiefs of Fermo” (Chapter VIII). He was arranging a wicked plan. Fermo began a speech and rose and said that the matters he was speaking about needed to be discussed in a more private place. He went into a chamber, where Giovanni and the rest of his citizens followed. There, soldiers from secret places came out and slaughtered Giovanni and the rest. Fermo then rode up and down the town on horseback and “killed all the malcontents who were able to injure him, and strengthened himself with new civil and military ordinances.” (Chapter VIII) Because of this type of deceitfulness and evil plan, Oliverotto de Fermo could be a part of the mafia. He knows how to accomplish the mean acts that he wants to, and for that reason he could be a mafia leader in the present day.

Cesare Borgia is mentioned and referred to many times in The Prince. Borgia’s father was Pope Alexander VI and Borgia’s title was Duke Valentino. “Cesare is acclaimed by some critics as the ‘hero’ of ‘The Prince.’” (OFFICE) Borgia is portrayed “a type of man who rises on the fortune of others, and falls with them; who takes every course that might be expected from a prudent man but the course which will save him; who is prepared for all eventualities but the one which happens; and who, when all his abilities fail to carry him through, exclaims that it was not his fault, but an extraordinary and unforeseen fatality.” (OFFICE) Cesare Borgia acquired his state with the help of his father. Borgia entered the Romagna with auxiliaries. He took with him French soldiers and captured Imola and Forli, and afterwards turned to mercenaries, and enlisted the Orsini and Vitelli. He destroyed them and turned them into his own men. (Chapter XIII) Today, Borgia could be the head of a big and successful company because he knows how to keep order. He knows how to make people listen to him and have them do what they’re told. Borgia’s company would be very productive and successful, and he would be a very good businessman.

2. Who is a prince's greatest ally? (Chapters 9, 19, 20, 21)

A prince should be on good terms with many people, but there are a few specific people or groups of people that a prince should be allied with. A good principality is obtained when the prince has the favor of the people in the country and the nobles. A prince needs to stay allies with the nobles in the country because if he is not on good terms with them, they can abandon him and rise against him. The nobles always come forward in time to save themselves. A prince ought to be on friendly terms with his people, and “this he can easily do seeing they only ask not to be oppressed by him.” (Chapter IX). A prince is also respected when he is either a “true friend or a downright enemy,” meaning that he declares himself in favor of one party against another (Chapter XXI). In a dispute, this will always be more advantageous then standing neutral, because “if two of your powerful neighbours come to blows, they are of such a character that, if one of them conquers, you have either to fear him or not.” (Chapter XXI).

A prince’s greatest ally when he reigns is ultimately the people. The people that he is ruling can destroy him as a prince, or make his reign magnificent. If he does not have the support of the people, then his reign will not last very long. They can turn against him because they are so big in numbers. A civil principality is made when a leading citizen becomes the leader of his country, not by cruelty or wickedness, but by the support and favor of his people. A prince needs to be allied with the people in order to be successful and even reach the throne. The prince can satisfy the people, “for their object is more righteous than that of the nobles.” (Chapter IX). The people are wishing to oppress. If a prince is not allied with his people, they can turn against him and abandon him. It is necessary for a prince to be friendly with the people, “otherwise he has no security in adversity.” (Chapter IX).

3. According to Machiavelli, when is generosity a good thing? (Be specific, identify, and cite his argument).

In ordinary life, it is best to be generous and kind to others. In the life of a prince, however; generosity needs to be given in moderation. Generosity is needed to gain power and to be liked by the people of your country, but you cannot have too much because you need to keep the people in order and under your control. Generosity is not needed very often when you are a prince, but it is needed so the prince does not seem terribly cruel. When a leading citizen wants to become prince of his country, he needs to show generosity in order to gain favor from his fellow citizens. (Chapter IX) According to Machiavelli, "every prince ought to desire to be considered clement and not cruel." This means that a prince should not want to be thought of as terribly mean and harsh, but rather kind and pleasant. While a prince wants to be kind, he does not want to misuse this clemency. For example, Cesare Borgia was considered a cruel ruler, but his cruelty reconciled the Romagna. His cruelty unified it and then restored it to peace and loyalty. If this is considered the right thing to do, Borgia is then considered to have been much more merciful then the Florentine, who, trying to avoid a reputation for cruelty, permitted Perstoia to be destroyed during the rioting between the Cancellieri and Panciatichi factions. If a prince shows too much mercy to his people, disorders will arise, which can cause murders, robberies, etc.

A prince should wish to be both feared and loved. If a prince does not win the love of his people, he can endure being feared, but if he is hated, then that will become a problem. (Chapter XVII) Machiavelli says that “we have not seen great things done in our time except by those who have been considered mean; the rest have failed.” Pope Julius II was assisted in reaching the papacy by a reputation for liberty. He used generosity to reach his goal. Afterwards, he did not strive to keep this liberty, for when he made war on the King of France, he supplied additional expenses out of his long thriftiness. The King of Spain during Machiavelli’s time would not have undertaken or conquered so many enterprises if he had been reputed liberal. A prince, therefore, provided that he does not rob his people, that he can defend himself, that he does not become poor, that he is not forced to become rapacious, “ought to hold of little account a reputation for being mean, for it is one of those vices which will enable him to govern.” (Chapter VXI) A prince’s goal considering generosity and meanness is not to be hated. According to Machiavelli, a prince should be more mean than generous, but he should use generosity to gain favor. A prince needs to be generous to keep people satisfied with him, and this is most necessary for a king to accomplish great things. He should do whatever possible to be successful, but he should avoid being hated by the people he is ruling.

4. Use The Beatitudes to argue against Machiavelli.

Machiavelli was an intelligent person with wise thoughts on being a clever, successful, and memorable prince, but some of his thoughts contradict with what is written in the Beatitudes. In Chapter VII of the Prince, Machiavelli says people become princes by good fortune, and in Chapter IX, he says that citizens can also become a prince by the favor of the people or the favor of the nobles. Machiavelli is not completely accurate here because line 5 of the Beatitudes states, ^“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Line 5) This means that humble and timid citizens can become powerful and make an impact. This is definitely true in some cases. Luck can play into someone’s life and they could be discovered and be memorable. This happened with the case of Michelangelo and Lorenzo de Medici. Lorenzo discovered Michelangelo, who was a middle class average child, and Michelangelo grew to be a great artist. Lorenzo took Michelangelo under his wing, and because of this, Michelangelo grew up with a wealthy family and became very successful.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” is line 8 of the Beatitudes. (Line 8) Anyone who has a pure heart, pure thoughts, and/or a pure mind, will live happily and be with God. Cruel acts do not need to be committed to be successful or be at the top. Clemency can be used and rulers can be just as or more successful than if they were cruel. Machiavelli praises cruelty and expresses this when he says that “we have not seen great things done in our time except by those who have been considered mean; the rest have failed.” (Chapter XVI) Machiavelli is not correct because with a pure heart you can see God and live eternally with God, and this is most definitely not failing.

The Beatitudes make a few very strong points that prove that Machiavelli is not always correct.

5. Use Machiavelli to argue against The Beatitudes.

The Beatitudes were given from Jesus to the people. They were in response to the Ten Commandments that God has revealed in the Old Testament of the Bible. (Exodus 20) The Beatitudes are blessings from Jesus that are recorded in Matthew and Luke in the Bible. Many of the lines in the Beatitudes contradict what Machiavelli is telling a prince to do in order to be a good ruler. The line, “⁵Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth,” (Line 5) is saying that the meek in the world will inherit the earth and become wealthy and powerful. That is absolutely not the case in Machiavelli’s mind. Machiavelli says, “Those who solely by good fortune become princes from being private citizens have little trouble in rising, but much in keeping atop; they have not any difficulties on the way up, because they fly, but they have many when they reach the summit.” (Chapter VII) These people that reach the top by good fortune do not reach it by being meek. Being modest and gentle will not get someone the title of prince. Good fortune or winning the favor of the people /the nobles will earn the title of prince. “I say then that such a principality is obtained either by the favour of the people or by the favour of the nobles.” (Chapter IX) A citizen cannot be humble and be extremely timid if they want to rule. They will not be noticed. If they are too shy to speak in front of others, promote themselves, or be on friendly terms with the people, then they have no chance at becoming prince.

Line 6 of the Beatitudes states, ^“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Machiavelli would argue that one cannot just hunger or thirst for something, rather they have to go and fight for it themselves. Machiavelli explains this by talking about Nabis, the Prince of the Spartans. He says that Nabis “sustained the attack of all Greece, and of a victorious Roman army, and against them he defended his country and his government; and for the overcoming of this peril it was only necessary for him to make himself secure against a few, but this would not have been sufficient had the people been hostile.” (Chapter IX) Nabis wanted to defend his country, but just because he wanted that badly did not mean his country would be protected. He had to fight and protect his country to keep it safe and secure.

Many of Machiavelli’s explanations and stories contradict what is said in the Beatitudes, and his thoughts can be used to argue against the Beatitudes.

Works Cited

Machiavelli, N. (1513). The prince [OFFICE Aet. 25-43--1494-1512]. Retrieved from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/machiavelli-prince.html

Machiavelli, N. (1513). The prince [Chapter VII]. Retrieved from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/machiavelli-prince.html

Machiavelli, N. (1513). The prince [Chapter VIII]. Retrieved from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/machiavelli-prince.html

Machiavelli, N. (1513). The prince [Chapter IX]. Retrieved from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/machiavelli-prince.html

Machiavelli, N. (1513). The prince [Chapter XVI]. Retrieved from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/machiavelli-prince.html

Machiavelli, N. (1513). The prince [Chapter XVII]. Retrieved from

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/machiavelli-prince.html

Machiavelli, N. (1513). The prince [Chapter XXI]. Retrieved from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/machiavelli-prince.html

The bible. (n.d.). [Exodus 20]. Retrieved from http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2020&version=NIV

. (n.d.). [Matthew 5 (New International Version) ]. Retrieved from http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205&version=NIV

France: 1450-1600

Our presentation for France is a powerpoint, but because a powerpoint cannot be uploaded to Blogger, it has been turned into a video for grading purposes. It will be showed to the class as a powerpoint.

Jen Kreis, Allison Sanphillipo, Marth Schick, Alex Schroeder, Brian Cadden, Elise Adamson

EDITED: Henry VIII Divorcing Catherine and Becoming Head of the Church of England

EDITED!

(For 5 more points to reach an 88)

Was Henry VIII justified in divorcing Catherine and making himself head of the Church of England?

Henry VIII was the king of England during the time of 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry had eight wives during his lifetime and split the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry married his brother’s widow soon after his father died, which was forbidden under Catholic law. In 1533, Henry and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, were divorced. Henry believed that his marriage with Catherine was cursed, and he also became smitten with another lady by the name of Anne Boleyn. Because the Church of England was not agreeing to what Henry wanted and would not annul his marriage with Catherine, Henry made himself head of the Church of England. Henry was justified in divorcing Catherine and was justified in making himself head of the Church of England. (Letters from Anne, 1526)

Henry and Catherine of Aragon were married on June 11, 1509. Their coronation took place, “The following day being a Sunday, and also Midsummer's Day, the noble prince with his queen left the palace for Westminster Abbey at the appointed hour.” “His grace and the queen were anointed and crowned by the archbishop of Canterbury in the presence of other prelates of the realm and the nobility and a large number of civic dignitaries.” (Hall, 1509.) Henry VIII and Catherine were happy for a while. Catherine bore six children, but only one of them survived, and this child was a daughter named Mary. Catherine and Henry were married for about twenty years before he divorced her in 1533. (Hall, 1509.)

If Henry was truly convinced that his marriage with Catherine was cursed, then his divorce with her was justified. Henry could be married to whomever he wanted to be married to. Catherine was not able to bear a male heir, and because of this and emotional differences, the pair separated. In the political aspect of Catherine not being able to produce a male son, this was not a good thing. Henry needed a male heir to carry on his rule. Because of the political realities of what it would mean for Henry not to have a male heir, he was justified in divorcing Catherine. He was doing what he could to produce an heir to the throne. Without a son to become king after Henry, he would see his family give up the throne to someone else. Because of the reasoning for Henry’s divorce, he was justified in splitting from Catherine.

Henry VIII wanted to be the head of the Church of England because the Church was not agreeing with Henry. The Act of Supremacy, a Parliamentary act under King Henry VII written in 1534, “gave legal sanction to Henry's assumption of those clerical powers.” (Koeller, 2005) Henry was in charge of Parliament and therefore was able to produce the Act of Supremacy. He signed this Act of Supremacy because the Pope would not annul his marriage. Henry was also justified in making himself the head of the Church because the Pope had no more right to be head of the Church than Henry did. If the Pope could rule and be the head of the Church of England, why couldn’t Henry be? Henry used his wit and manipulative ways to create a plan to altar the rules of the Church. Instead of the Pope ruling the Church, Henry just ruled instead. Henry was justified in making himself head of the Church because he was doing what he needed to in order to have a male heir to continue the family rule and adhere to the political reality of the time. (Hall, 1509.)

Henry had justifications to divorce Catherine and be head of the Church of England. He was smart in his reign and did what he could to protect his family and produce an heir to the throne. He was justified in his actions.

"Primary Sources: The Coronations of King Henry VIII and Katharine of Aragon, 1509."EnglishHistory.net. Web. 02 Oct. 2010. .

"The Act of Supremacy." Then Again. . . Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .

"Primary Sources - Letter from Anne Boleyn to King Henry VIII, Late Summer 1526."EnglishHistory.net. Web. 02 Oct. 2010. .

"Primary Sources: The Romance between Anne Boleyn and Henry Percy, 1523." EnglishHistory.net. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .