Deciphering the Hidden Potential of Machiavellian Ideas among Democratic Societies

This is a research paper written for my English class in college. I thought it to be interesting to support a point of view that most wouldn’t. This short essay brings a more indepth look into monarchial rule compared to a democratic one. By no means am I stating that I believe America should be under monarchy rule, I quite enjoy having the freedom to do as I please, this was just a research topic and a fun write. Hope you enjoy. I welcome comments, so please feel free to critique and discuss.

Permeating through the minds of politically historic authors can be a daunting, yet invigorating, task. The intense hatred purveyed on monarchy rule by Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense, sends chills of inspiration down the spines of his readers. Upon a more in-depth investigation, a thing or two may be learned from these sovereign individuals, despised by Paine. Deciphering Nicolo Machiavelli’s literature in The Prince, and associating it with the present world, may lead to the success of leaders throughout society. Discover and uncover the possibilities of utilizing the ideas of principalities in a democratic society.

Subsequent to the uncovering of Machiavelli’s tyrannical imposition, “men ought either to be well treated or crushed” (Machiavelli), an obscured sensation of discontent trickles throughout the body. While this callous statement can be acknowledged as an inhumane concept, Machiavelli uses it to stress the importance of retaining leadership. Taken literally, his views would appear to be unsympathetic and crude, but out of context they become the teachings of a motivational guru for leaders around the world. Referring back to the ruthless quote, he is expressing the only two choices one has when dealing with competition. In hopes of forming an alliance, the leader must present the rival with generosity first; if the benevolent gesture fails to succeed then absolute domination is the only option left. Anything between the two would lead to the opposition having an opportunity to form a powerful resistance, a resistance that could compromise the individual’s leadership position. Although Machiavelli’s teachings may seem demeaning to society, with proper utilization, a leader would easily prevail over the competition.

Discovering how to properly utilize his teachings takes time and can be accomplished by reviewing his concept of retaining order which states, if an influenced society is no longer influenced, usurpation should be used to maintain a constant belief (Machiavelli). With a brief glance this idea may seem to oppose everything understood about natural rights, but that would be a malediction of Machiavelli’s true intent. The American society has expressed an intense discord against the thought of monarchy rule, blinding its citizens from fully comprehending Machiavelli. This close-minded way of thinking will only hinder an individual’s ability to truly understand what is intended to be learned. In the process of gleaning the concept of principalities, one must ask, are monarchies always considered to be an imprecation to society, or can they prove to be triumphant in certain aspects of modern civilization?

A society governed by monarchial rule will always express social maladies toward society’s natural right to equality. Expressed in John Locke’s work, The Second Treatise of Civil Government, by natural law, one has the right to do as he or she sees fit without the governance of another individual (Locke). When Paine writes about government being a “necessary evil” (Paine), America’s current economic state is what comes to mind. While the governance of society is necessary to ensure equality and security among citizens, its involvement in economical affairs can become quite a maelstrom of chaos. While a democracy ensures the equality and freedom of its citizens, the economy will suffer from the malediction of society’s inability to assure each individual’s wants and needs. Under monarchy rule the economy would not become an imprecation on one’s country, but the antithesis. A principality would consider it to be absurd, destroying the great state of the economy to ensure fairness among the people. America has confirmed, time and time again, it must continue spending money it doesn’t have to insure the securities of its citizens. This precise understanding gives truth to the theory that democracy is anathema to the economy, just as monarchy is anathema to equality.

Paine conveys his sentiment on the negativity of principalities when he dictates “the king is not to be trusted…a thirst for absolute power is the natural disease of monarchy” (Paine). Due to the intense nature of expressions by Paine and others who consider monarchy to be a disgusting form of government, Machiavelli’s views are found to be the antithesis of what society believes it should be. With that being said, a lot of what he expresses in The Prince has been found useful in today’s current socioeconomic situations. Jean Jacques Rousseau speaks of Aristotle’s depiction of society in his book, The Social Contract, when he mentions that “men are by no means [economically] equal naturally, but that some are born for slavery, and others for dominion” (Rousseau). For a moment, let’s assume slavery represents the poor and lower middle class, while dominion represents the rich and upper middleclass. With this reevaluation of Rousseau’s statement, we can apply it to a more current situation in society.

An absolute understanding of Paine, Rousseau, Locke, and Machiavelli is possible, but may be perceived as archaic when taken literally. At one point in history, this would have been acceptable, but today they must be removed from their literal context to be fully comprehended by society. When Machiavelli mentions, “It is much safer to be feared than loved” (Machiavelli), his teachings led to usurpation being bestowed upon society to accomplish this feat. Today, a metaphysical force is used to retain leadership throughout society. By attenuating the literal translation and escalating a metaphoric translation, society can utilize the advice provided by each of these four authors.