Machiavelli's The Prince - Foundational Thinkers Lecture

'The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognise traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.'

Today we are discussing one of the most influential works of political philosophy of all time: Niccoló Machiavelli's The Prince.

We're discussing whether it's better to be loved or feared, how to imitate the fox and the lion, crushing enemies, the need to be loved, and much more. We'll examine case studies that include Henry V, Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Cesare Borgia, Pope Alexander VI, Philopoemen, Elizabeth I, Richard III, Stalin, and Napoleon.

This discussion is the first in our quarterly series of special standalone deep dives into the foundational thinkers of the Western tradition. This lecture is designed for readers who are coming to Machiavelli fresh, so you do not need to have read it prior to listening. You may wish to have your copy open during the talk, marking passages that resonate with you, or you might find it useful to listen to the lecture first and then start working your way through the text.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 how Machiavelli’s The Prince was born
• 2:00 why did Machiavelli write The Prince?
• 3:00 how this book influenced the world
• 5:00 Machiavelli five hundred years on
• 6:00 advice for how to read Machiavelli
• 8:00 how to read philosophy & non-fiction
• 10:00 reading the beginning of The Prince
• 11:00 hereditary vs new principalities
• 12:00 on renaissance figures of speech
• 13:00 is it better to be loved or feared?
• 15:00 Machiavelli’s thoughts on Christianity
• 17:00 why you should study Shakespeare
• 18:00 how ‘Machiavel’ became a stock villain
• 19:00 appearing virtuous whilst enacting vice
• 20:00 five qualities princes should appear to have
• 22:00 the case study of Henry V at Agincourt
• 23:00 why the compassionate must be cruel
• 25:00 Prince Hal/King Henry vs Falstaff
• 26:00 the ruler must become a symbol
• 27:00 men unite under leaders they love
• 28:00 Queen Elizabeth’s iconic speech
• 29:00 the case study of Napoleon Bonaparte
• 33:00 is authority seized or bestowed?
• 35:00 Machiavelli’s diplomatic career
• 37:00 the case study of Cesare Borgia
• 39:00 when mercy becomes the real cruelty
• 41:00 the case study of Hannibal
• 42:00 why a ruler must avoid being despised
• 43:00 case study of Richard III & Stalin
• 45:00 do the ends justify the means?
• 46:00 being realistic vs being idealistic
• 47:00 Machiavelli vs traditional princely virtues
• 48:00 the case study of Pope Alexander VI
• 49:00 why rulers should imitate fox & lion
• 51:00 what do we mean when we say virtue?
• 53:00 one can be hated for good and bad deeds
• 55:00 the virtue of generosity & Julius Caesar
• 57:00 three important Machiavellian rules
• 58:00 case study of Marcus Aurelius vs Severus
• 1:00:00 thinking several chess moves in advance
• 1:01:00 how to treat your enemies & your friends
• 1:02:00 on crushing totally to avoid revenge
• 1:04:00 power from fortune vs prowess
• 1:05:00 the cause of Cesare Borgia’s downfall
• 1:06:00 the dangers of disarming one’s subjects
• 1:07:00 why some rulers foster civil strife
• 1:09:00 why rulers cannot remain neutral
• 1:10:00 how the Romans approach warfare
• 1:12:00 war as the foundation of state
• 1:14:00 how to keep your people happy
• 1:14:00 surround yourself with great people
• 1:16:00 the imploration to improve yourself
• 1:17:00 the case study of Philopoemen
• 1:19:00 the grand battle of fortune vs prowess
• 1:21:00 preparing for conflict in times of peace
• 1:22:00 model yourself on great examples
• 1:23:00 should The Prince be our textbook?
• 1:24:00 lessons we can take from Machiavelli
• 1:27:00 what do you make of this work?

Resources to Explore:

• Edition: If you would like the same edition as myself, I'm working from this Penguin Paperback edition translated by George Bull. Although, throughout the discussion, I refer to chapters rather than page numbers to make locating passages easy regardless of which edition you read.
• Theatre: Studying Shakespeare is incredibly fruitful for those wishing to explore machiavellian principles in dramatic form. If you haven’t already, you might want to pick one of the following plays that interests you the most and watch it: Henry IV, Henry V, Richard III, Julius Caesar, Measure for Measure, Othello.
• Television: If you want a real cinematic treat, I highly recommend watching the entire Henriad saga in the Hollow Crown television adaptation. You might also enjoy The Borgias, in which Machiavelli himself is a character and we see his meeting with Cesare Borgia. 
• Biography: Alexander Lee has a great biography about Niccolò Machiavelli, which is well worth dipping into if you're interested to learn more about his life and times. 
• Explore: You may find it interesting to compare Machiavelli's writing with Aristotle's analysis of virtues in The Nicomachean Ethics. It would also be rewarding to contrast the mindsets in The Prince with those of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations. For military strategy, there is Sun Tzu's The Art of War.

Questions for You:

1) Do you think it’s better to be loved or feared?

2) Where do you agree and disagree with Machiavelli?

3) Which characters that we've met qualify as machiavellian?

Please do share anything that resonates with you from our discussion and return here from your reading to let us know the passages that you find the most thought-provoking.

Happy reading, everybody!