Why Machiavelli’s inmoral and calculating teachings in the ‘The Prince’ are still relevant today
The 15th century genius’ teachings are still pertinent in this day and age.
Niccolò Machiavelli, born in Florence in 1469, lived in a time of political turbulence where city-states constantly battled for survival. However, that’s not to say that what he learned back then isn’t relevant in today’s world.
As a diplomat and government official, he saw the truth behind power from up close: rulers could rise and fall overnight, and alliances could be broken in an instant.
Machiavelli’s most famous work, The Prince, written after he was exiled and imprisoned, broke sharply with traditional views of leadership. Rather than promoting virtue or ethical governance, he argued that rulers instead often act ruthlessly to maintain authority. Ringing any bells?
According to Machiavelli, it is safer for a leader to be feared than loved, because fear is a more reliable tool to control people than goodwill. He spoke of deception, calculated cruelty, and opportunistic decision-making when circumstances demanded it, insisting that the ends often justify the means. “Making an example of one or two offenders is kinder than being too compassionate,” he wrote, “and allowing disorders to develop into murder and chaos which affects the whole community.”
A key insight of The Prince is Machiavelli’s distinction between appearance and reality. Leaders, he argued, should cultivate an image of morality and justice even when making harsh choices behind the scenes: “A prince must always seem to be very moral, even if he is not.”
He also emphasised that fortune plays a role in life, but success ultimately depends on a leader’s skill, boldness, and adaptability: in other words, effective leadership requires both strategic thinking and the ability to act decisively in unpredictable circumstances.
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Machiavelli’s genius was not in telling rulers what they should do, but in revealing what they actually do — and how power really works. In a world still driven by competition, fear, and image, his so-called “immoral” wisdom feels less like a memory of the past and more like a terrifyingly accurate mirror of the present.
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