DANCEST 805 Lecture 6:
Document Summary
53 87: of those things for which men, and particularly princes, are praised or blamed. The proper behaviour of princes toward subjects and allies is up for debate. Machiavelli bases his observations on the real world, not on an imagined ideal, like others have. There is so much difference between the way people should act and the way they do act that any prince who tries to do what he should will ruin himself. A prince must know when to act immorally. Everyone agrees that a prince should have all good qualities, but because that is impossible, a wise prince will avoid those vices that would destroy his power and not worry about the rest. Some actions that seem virtuous will ruin a prince, while others that seem like vices will make a prince prosper: of generosity and miserliness. A reputation for generosity is thought to be desirable but developing it can be dangerous.
