Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince
(The Com plete Notes)
Dedication
Dedication : Sum m ar y
Machiavelli’s dedication of The Prince—with the heading “Niccolò Machiavelli to the
Magnificent Lorenzo de’ Medici”—is a letter to Lorenzo de’ Medici, who was the nephew
of Giovanni de’ Medici (Leo X) and became duke of Urbino in 1516. Machiavelli offers
his book with customary humility, commenting that it is stylistically simple and
unworthy of his audience. Machiavelli describes his book as a summary of his
“understanding of the deeds of great men,” intended to help Lorenzo de’ Medici achieve
eminence as a prince.
Dedication: Analysis
Machiavelli begins by offering a short defense of why he, an ordinary citizen, should
know more than rulers about the art of ruling. He uses a metaphor to justify himself: a
person standing on a mountain is best positioned to survey the landscape below, and a
person standing below is best positioned to survey the mountain. Similarly, writes
Machiavelli, “to comprehend fully the nature of people, one must be a prince, and to
comprehend fully the nature of princes one must be an ordinary citizen.” Implicit in this
claim is the idea that the removed perspective of an observer is a more reliable guide
than practical experience, and a better means of improving the art of ruling.
The dedication gives the reader an idea of Machiavelli’s intended audience. Though the
book has a scholarly tone, it is not for fellow scholars. The Prince is meant to advise,
instruct, and influence the minds of rulers. It was, originally, a kind of practical “how-
to” guide for aspiring princes. Only later did The Prince become regarded as an
important treatise on political philosophy.
Chapter s 1–4
Sum m ar y: Chapter 1: The K in ds of Pr in cipalities an d the Mean s by W hich
Th ey Ar e Acquir ed
Machiavelli describes the different kinds of states, arguing that all states are either
republics or principalities. Principalities can be divided into hereditary principalities
and new principalities. New principalities are either completely new or new appendages
to existing states. By fortune or strength, a prince can acquire a new principality with his
own army or with the arms of others.
,Sum m ar y: Chapter 2: Her editar y Pr in cipalities
Chapter 2 is the first of three chapters focusing on methods to govern and maintain
principalities. Machiavelli dismisses any discussion of republics, explaining that he has
“discussed them at length on another occasion”—a reference to Book 1 of his Discourses.
Machiavelli notes that it is easier to govern a hereditary state than a new principality for
two main reasons. First, those under the rule of such states are familiar with the prince’s
family and are therefore accustomed to their rule. The natural prince only has to keep
past institutions intact, while adapting these institutions to current events. Second, the
natural disposition of subjects in a hereditary state is to love the ruling family, unless the
prince commits some horrible act against his people. Even if a strong outsider succeeds
in conquering a prince’s hereditary state, any setback the outsider encounters will allow
the prince to reconquer the state.
Sum m ar y: Chapter 3: Mixed Pr in cipalities
[M]en m ust be either pam per ed or an n ihilated.
Machiavelli explains why maintaining a new principality is more difficult than
maintaining a hereditary state. In the first place, people will willingly trade one recently
arrived ruler for another, hoping that a new ruler will be better than the present one.
This expectation of improvement will induce people to take up arms against any
relatively unestablished prince. Although the people may quickly realize that their revolt
is ineffective, they will still create great disorder. Furthermore, when a prince takes over
another prince’s domain, he finds himself in a tricky situation with regard to the people
who put him in power. He cannot maintain the support of these people because he
cannot fulfill all of their expectations that their situation will improve. But he also
cannot deal too harshly with them because he is in their debt. Immediately after taking
power, the prince is in danger of losing his newly gained principality.
When a prince successfully suppresses a revolt, however, the ruler can easily prevent
further revolt by harshly punishing the rebels and decimating his opposition. The ruler
can deal more harshly with his subjects in response to the revolt than he would be able
to normally.
It is much easier to maintain control over a new principality if the people share the same
language and customs as the prince’s own country. If this is the case, the prince has to
do only two things: destroy the family of the former prince, and maintain the
principality’s laws and taxes. People will live quietly and peacefully so long as their old
ways of life are undisturbed.
New states that have different languages and customs from those of the prince are more
difficult to maintain. One of the prince’s most effective options is to take up residence in
the new state. By living there, the prince can address problems quickly and efficiently.
, He can prevent the local officials from plundering his territory. The subjects will be in
close contact with the prince. Therefore, those who are inclined to be good will have
more reason to show their allegiance to the prince and those who are inclined to be bad
will have more reason to fear him. Invaders will think twice before attempting to take
over the state.
Another effective method of dealing with linguistic and cultural differences is to
establish colonies in the new state. It is less expensive to establish colonies than to
maintain military occupation, and colonialism only harms inhabitants who pose no
threat to the prince because they are scattered and poor. As a general rule, men must be
either pampered or crushed. A prince should injure people only if he knows there is no
threat of revenge. Setting up military bases throughout the new state will not effectively
keep order. Instead, it will upset the people, and these people may turn into hostile
enemies capable of causing great harm to the prince’s regime.
A prince who has occupied a state in a foreign country should dominate the neighboring
states. He should weaken the strong ones and ensure that no other strong foreign power
invades a neighboring state. Weaker powers will naturally side with the strongest power
as long as they cannot grow strong themselves. The prince must remain master of the
whole country to keep control of the state he has conquered.
Princes should always act to solve problems before problems fully manifest themselves.
Political disorders are easy to solve if the prince identifies them and acts early. If they
are allowed to develop fully, it will be too late.
Men naturally want to acquire more. When they succeed in acquiring more they are
always praised, not condemned. But rulers who lack the ability to acquire, yet still try at
the cost of their current state, should be condemned.
In order to hold a state, a prince must understand statecraft and warcraft. The two are
intertwined. War can be avoided by suppressing disorder. However, one can never
escape a war: war can only be postponed to the enemy’s advantage.
Sum m ar y: Chapter 4: W hy Alexan der ’s Successor s W er e Able to K eep
Possession of Dar ius’ K in gdom after Alexan der ’s Death
There are two ways to govern a principality. The first involves a prince and appointed
ministers. While the ministers help govern, everyone remains subservient to the prince.
The second way involves a prince and nobles. Nobles are not appointed by the prince,
but they benefit from their ancient lineage and have subjects of their own. Of both these
scenarios, the prince is regarded as being much stronger if he uses ministers, since he is
the only ruler in the country.
(The Com plete Notes)
Dedication
Dedication : Sum m ar y
Machiavelli’s dedication of The Prince—with the heading “Niccolò Machiavelli to the
Magnificent Lorenzo de’ Medici”—is a letter to Lorenzo de’ Medici, who was the nephew
of Giovanni de’ Medici (Leo X) and became duke of Urbino in 1516. Machiavelli offers
his book with customary humility, commenting that it is stylistically simple and
unworthy of his audience. Machiavelli describes his book as a summary of his
“understanding of the deeds of great men,” intended to help Lorenzo de’ Medici achieve
eminence as a prince.
Dedication: Analysis
Machiavelli begins by offering a short defense of why he, an ordinary citizen, should
know more than rulers about the art of ruling. He uses a metaphor to justify himself: a
person standing on a mountain is best positioned to survey the landscape below, and a
person standing below is best positioned to survey the mountain. Similarly, writes
Machiavelli, “to comprehend fully the nature of people, one must be a prince, and to
comprehend fully the nature of princes one must be an ordinary citizen.” Implicit in this
claim is the idea that the removed perspective of an observer is a more reliable guide
than practical experience, and a better means of improving the art of ruling.
The dedication gives the reader an idea of Machiavelli’s intended audience. Though the
book has a scholarly tone, it is not for fellow scholars. The Prince is meant to advise,
instruct, and influence the minds of rulers. It was, originally, a kind of practical “how-
to” guide for aspiring princes. Only later did The Prince become regarded as an
important treatise on political philosophy.
Chapter s 1–4
Sum m ar y: Chapter 1: The K in ds of Pr in cipalities an d the Mean s by W hich
Th ey Ar e Acquir ed
Machiavelli describes the different kinds of states, arguing that all states are either
republics or principalities. Principalities can be divided into hereditary principalities
and new principalities. New principalities are either completely new or new appendages
to existing states. By fortune or strength, a prince can acquire a new principality with his
own army or with the arms of others.
,Sum m ar y: Chapter 2: Her editar y Pr in cipalities
Chapter 2 is the first of three chapters focusing on methods to govern and maintain
principalities. Machiavelli dismisses any discussion of republics, explaining that he has
“discussed them at length on another occasion”—a reference to Book 1 of his Discourses.
Machiavelli notes that it is easier to govern a hereditary state than a new principality for
two main reasons. First, those under the rule of such states are familiar with the prince’s
family and are therefore accustomed to their rule. The natural prince only has to keep
past institutions intact, while adapting these institutions to current events. Second, the
natural disposition of subjects in a hereditary state is to love the ruling family, unless the
prince commits some horrible act against his people. Even if a strong outsider succeeds
in conquering a prince’s hereditary state, any setback the outsider encounters will allow
the prince to reconquer the state.
Sum m ar y: Chapter 3: Mixed Pr in cipalities
[M]en m ust be either pam per ed or an n ihilated.
Machiavelli explains why maintaining a new principality is more difficult than
maintaining a hereditary state. In the first place, people will willingly trade one recently
arrived ruler for another, hoping that a new ruler will be better than the present one.
This expectation of improvement will induce people to take up arms against any
relatively unestablished prince. Although the people may quickly realize that their revolt
is ineffective, they will still create great disorder. Furthermore, when a prince takes over
another prince’s domain, he finds himself in a tricky situation with regard to the people
who put him in power. He cannot maintain the support of these people because he
cannot fulfill all of their expectations that their situation will improve. But he also
cannot deal too harshly with them because he is in their debt. Immediately after taking
power, the prince is in danger of losing his newly gained principality.
When a prince successfully suppresses a revolt, however, the ruler can easily prevent
further revolt by harshly punishing the rebels and decimating his opposition. The ruler
can deal more harshly with his subjects in response to the revolt than he would be able
to normally.
It is much easier to maintain control over a new principality if the people share the same
language and customs as the prince’s own country. If this is the case, the prince has to
do only two things: destroy the family of the former prince, and maintain the
principality’s laws and taxes. People will live quietly and peacefully so long as their old
ways of life are undisturbed.
New states that have different languages and customs from those of the prince are more
difficult to maintain. One of the prince’s most effective options is to take up residence in
the new state. By living there, the prince can address problems quickly and efficiently.
, He can prevent the local officials from plundering his territory. The subjects will be in
close contact with the prince. Therefore, those who are inclined to be good will have
more reason to show their allegiance to the prince and those who are inclined to be bad
will have more reason to fear him. Invaders will think twice before attempting to take
over the state.
Another effective method of dealing with linguistic and cultural differences is to
establish colonies in the new state. It is less expensive to establish colonies than to
maintain military occupation, and colonialism only harms inhabitants who pose no
threat to the prince because they are scattered and poor. As a general rule, men must be
either pampered or crushed. A prince should injure people only if he knows there is no
threat of revenge. Setting up military bases throughout the new state will not effectively
keep order. Instead, it will upset the people, and these people may turn into hostile
enemies capable of causing great harm to the prince’s regime.
A prince who has occupied a state in a foreign country should dominate the neighboring
states. He should weaken the strong ones and ensure that no other strong foreign power
invades a neighboring state. Weaker powers will naturally side with the strongest power
as long as they cannot grow strong themselves. The prince must remain master of the
whole country to keep control of the state he has conquered.
Princes should always act to solve problems before problems fully manifest themselves.
Political disorders are easy to solve if the prince identifies them and acts early. If they
are allowed to develop fully, it will be too late.
Men naturally want to acquire more. When they succeed in acquiring more they are
always praised, not condemned. But rulers who lack the ability to acquire, yet still try at
the cost of their current state, should be condemned.
In order to hold a state, a prince must understand statecraft and warcraft. The two are
intertwined. War can be avoided by suppressing disorder. However, one can never
escape a war: war can only be postponed to the enemy’s advantage.
Sum m ar y: Chapter 4: W hy Alexan der ’s Successor s W er e Able to K eep
Possession of Dar ius’ K in gdom after Alexan der ’s Death
There are two ways to govern a principality. The first involves a prince and appointed
ministers. While the ministers help govern, everyone remains subservient to the prince.
The second way involves a prince and nobles. Nobles are not appointed by the prince,
but they benefit from their ancient lineage and have subjects of their own. Of both these
scenarios, the prince is regarded as being much stronger if he uses ministers, since he is
the only ruler in the country.
