PHIL-101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Exoteric
Document Summary
The guide or handbook of how to rule a principality self-centered cruel. Life is a game where wining is power. He is condemning the cruel means of domination. Brute, straight up force in circumstances where it is necessary. If someone keeps using cruelty, they will not be able to rule well. He is trying to convince the prince that there is no good way to go about it, that it is impossible. By having nobles, you"re going to have nobles and those nobles will cause problems. A noble is someone who seeks to oppress, regardless of how good they are. By having people put you to power (democracy), then the people just want no oppression. Democracy is the only stable form of government. If you are straight up critical or belligerent, things aren"t going to turn out well for you. Machiavelli uses this to disguise his text as just another normal handbook prudent.
