Niccolo Machiavelli: 'It is Better to Be Feared Than Loved... If You Cannot be Both'

Italian diplomat Niccolò Machiavelli lived over five centuries ago but his influence among unscrupulous politicians reaches into the modern age. He is mostly known for writing The Prince -- the handbook that established him as the "father of modern political theory." Through its teachings -- power is the ultimate goal through any means necessary.

Credits:
Host - Simon Whistler
Author - Crystal Sullivan
Producer - Jack Cole
Executive Producer - Shell Harris

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[pyromania]

People like to quote that line, yet conveniently forget (or ignore) that the very next line stresses that, if you must be feared, you must also take care not to be HATED.

[Dubbudha]

Fun fact: King Friedrich II the Great from Prussia wrote a book critizising the writings and ideas of Machiavelli as a young, idealistic prince. Later on, when he became king, he acted several times exactly as Machiavelli proposed.

[GameNubQuin]

Having read The Prince, I think it has a reputation that is a bit unfair. It is a book about political power and I think most of its points hold true in regards to valid ways to hold such power. Because it does not focus on morality, evil men can and obviously have benefited from it. But I do not think that is exclusively who it can help. The idea you cannot rule on love alone makes sense, and it is the "better to be feared" thing where I think most people's judgement begins and ends.

[haniwadog]

"It is not the well being of individuals that makes cities great, but the well being of the community."
- Niccolo Machiavelli

[acelyasummer]

"One of the most celebrated and notorious books in the history of western political thought."

You can say that again!

[karlp]

You listen to your audience! Machiavelli was probably the father of politics as we understand it today, the Renaissance being the turning point for so many fields of endeavour. I love that you highlighted how much his writings were a real threat to monarchies across Europe - him being a Republican. He was effectively a senior public servant in a non-monarchial state (Florence) and the Medicis and Borgias were not royalty - unusual for the time.

[kurington.blogspot]

Machiavelli is my favourite political philosopher just for the fact that he was the first to separate virtue from action. He looked and saw how things work and for that was damned till this day. His name is used as a synonym of devilishness and that makes me certain that those who speak truth will forever be damned by the masses of idiots.

[LeglessWonder]

“A government which does not trust its citizens to be armed is not itself to be trusted.”

Niccolo Machiavelli

[shadowpresident]

I'd have to say that The Prince is undoubtedly one of the best books on dating advice I've read.

[SheevPalpatine]

Is it better to be feared or loved? I say it is lovely to be feared and scary to be loved. The moment the people love you they will kill you when you mess up.

[vedantkale]

I never thought anyone would have the guts to write something that is so true. He clearly shows what actually works in the higher level political games. The people who deny it are horribly naive and yet they wonder why all bad things happen to them.

[muder]

I love Machiavelli. He opened my eyes to how corrupt the government's of the world really are and how to judge a ruler of said country and thus with this insight let's me peak into how strong a leader really is

[jakesaunders]

Why no mention of his friendship with ezio

[Owlrider]

Machiavelli, thanks to its work, is one of the most misunderstood people in history and The Prince arguably the most misunderstood work in history. Many people read many different things from The Prince without actually trying to understand it. The issue is that when you hear about something you already form an opinion on it, than when you actually read the work itself you already have your opinion based on what you've heard about it, which in turn colors the way you read the work. Machiavelli was one of the wisest and most brilliant people in history, and his works are timeless. Even today The Prince has a ton to teach us, despite all the changes that happened in the world since his time. Whether you're a tyrant or a democratically elected president/prime minister you have a lot to learn from The Prince, and so do the rest of us who aren't leaders of nations. The hardest part today is to read The Prince without any foreknowledge about it, as to not make the same mistake most people who read it have made, which in turn colored their interpretations of it and lead to its unjust infamy.

[longforgotten]

Do Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Thomas Aquinas, Saint Augustine of hippo, Russo, and the other Western thinkers.

[millardwashington]

He was a chronicler of his time (of which his writings, transcends time)the rich and the powerful simply didn’t want the “masses “ to understand what they were dealing with, knowledge understanding, wisdom, just because you understand (see) a thing doesn’t mean you have to be it, it provides you with a better understanding of how to deal with it, when it comes upon you. Fire is terrible until you understand it, then you decided how you want to us it, wish to share it. The light and the dark are within you.

[elizabethjenkinsswaney]

As a history buff, I love this channel. And simons voice is oddly calming.

[masonwhite]

A smart man fascinated with power. I like this guy. I see why he's remembered

[cedricgist]

In high school I developed the impression that Machiavelli was a "chronicler" as you mentioned in the video - an astute observer who shared with us his witness of how statecraft was practiced.

From watching an episode of "The Time Tunnel, " and prior impressions gained from others, I thought the man was evil. Surprisingly, this year the shared impressions of others have caused me to wonder whether he was truly an advocate of the ways and means of achieving and maintaining power that he outlines in his work. I knew that he had suffered at the hands of princes as Cervantes suffered. I still hold that his treatise was written in bitterness and if not satirical, it is cautionary. "If you want to gain and maintain power, do this - if you don't mind being labeled evil."

Thanks for this examination of a man who remains misunderstood to this day.

[williamfisher]

One of the only good youtube history channels. Keep up the good work!