"The Prince" is Italian diplomat, Niccolo Machiavelli's infamous treatise on the nature of power. His pragmatic, sometimes blatantly cruel insights on how a ruler can consolidate their power, have made this book controversial, leading to the inception of the term "Machiavellian". Nonetheless, I found the entirety of this book quite enlightening and fascinating.
As Machiavelli himself mentions, he does not embellish the book with exorbitant verbiage, but rather, delivers the cold, hard facts. He wants us to ponder over his ideas, not his language, and the cohesive, straightforward, way he presents his notions facilitates just that.
Many of Machiavelli's ideas sound cynical. However they held absolutely true for the politics of his time. They expound the twisted nature of power, and how the acquisition of political power is inextricably tied to committing morally grey acts.
Though our political structures have evolved, the harsh reality of power remains the same. Thus, Machiavelli's observations are still relevant today. In fact, so many of these observations sound so logical and conspicuous now, because of the potent impact "The Prince" had on political systems.
Perhaps the most notorious inference drawn from this book is that it is safer for a ruler to be feared than loved. But after reading further, one realises that Machiavelli's views are not extremely polarized. While he opines that fear can guarantee unconditional respect, he also implores rulers not to engender hate amongst their subjects. Another aphorism I found enlightening was how it is better to punish one's subjects towards the beginning, rather than being too generous. However, he defines limits to this punishment too. He dissuades rulers from encroaching upon their subjects' land and abusing women. After the initial stages, he even encourages rulers to grant their subjects concessions to attain honour.
Another thing that I especially enjoyed about this book is that many of Machiavelli's adages are not only applicable to rulers, but can be implemented in our personal lives too.
I cannot finish this review without commending this book's translation into English. The translator has greatly simplified the book's language for our ease of comprehension, while preserving the essence of its message. The translator's note at the beginning of the book was also quite interesting to read.
All in all, this book is an eye-opener towards the nature of power and governance, and remains a timeless classic. I implore you to give "The Prince" a try, to become enlightened and even astounded by Machiavelli's understanding of human nature and power.
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