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In The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli puts forward a view of ruling a state that is considerably different and a complete contradiction from the beliefs and teachings of humanists of his time. He argued against the humanist view that princes must act virtually, in ways such as justice. He disagreed with humanist beliefs and instead believed that he must be prepared to do wrong in order to succeed. Therefore Machiavelli held a pessimistic view of human nature and usually doubted people, stating that in time of difficulty, “when the state is in need of its citizens there are few to be found." (Machiavelli, pg. 83 1960)
According to Machiavelli a ruler must be prepared to act in inappropriate ways in order to succeed and gain respect. Machiavelli’s main focus in The Prince was on how to create a successful ruler and how a prince should behave in order to reach this goal. As a result, he encourages the prince to be generous, merciful and honest when he can but at the same time the......

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Approximate Word Count: 1958
Approximate Pages: 8 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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