The thesis of this essay is that Machiavelli's understanding of the nature of politics includes both the ideological and tangible effects necessary for the continued existence of a state. This essay will attempt to discuss both, including Machiavelli's thoughts on war, the prince's methods of behavior, and how he should adopt the traits of beasts. Next, his ideas on rationality, fortune and virtu as well as his thoughts on ordinary people are discussed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayWhat is Machiavelli's understanding of the nature of politics in The Prince?Much of The Prince focuses on the importance of state, war and how to fortify and acquire new states. Machiavelli discusses the methods of acquiring new principalities and how to maintain them. He states in chapter XII of The Prince that the foundations of all states are good laws and good weapons, indicating the importance that the military and the use of force have in strengthening the state. Althusser (1999: 83) insists that the “instruments” of force, consent and conflicting moods (respectively the army, religion and laws) are part of the State and contribute to its maintenance. Applying each of these principles precisely whenever necessary to meet the demands of the state is what shapes popular politics. From then on, the army is considered a state apparatus: essentially, the primary attribute of state power is that of armed force. The supremacy of weapons over ideology is epitomized when Machiavelli insists that while an unarmed prophet will fail, an armed prophet is likely to succeed. It can be inferred that while a prince's ideology and methods of behavior are clearly relevant to Machiavelli, the conduct of war and the possession of a strong military base are even more significant. In his understanding of politics, the training and action of the army is essential and can be seen as a tool to guarantee the maintenance of the state. Therefore, ideology and the military act as components of politics rather than autonomous institutions. Machiavelli places great importance on how the prince should act and insists that the prince must have a duality of appearance, behaving in such a way that he arouses the good will of the public. As Gilbert (1984: 170) claims, Machiavelli attempted to formulate “rules of behavior” deduced from his own experiences. These rules, often in the form of deception, help the Prince to arouse the admiration of the public. Such deception is part of what Althusser (1999:99) calls the ideological politics of the prince, and allows the prince to manipulate ordinary people with means justified by the ends, that is, control of their thoughts. There is no question that it is an “ideological demagoguery”, he affirms, and it is limited to politics alone, consisting of the conduct and practice of the prince. Machiavelli states that fraud must be “well concealed: one must be a great pretender and dissimulator”. This refers to the duality of appearance and the manner in which it is achieved: Machiavelli theorizes that the Prince will occasionally be compelled to do evil, and when the case is such, the Prince should always disguise his immoral conduct as moral conduct (Althusser, 1999: 99). .) Moreover, Machiavelli believes that it is "much safer to be feared than loved" and only insists that if the prince cannot do both because it is "certainly difficult", hemust at all costs avoid being hated by the people. Furthermore, even if the virtues are encouraged, they should not trap the prince, Althusser emphasizes, because necessity might force the prince to renounce these acts. Machiavelli's underlying claim is that the prince must do whatever is necessary to protect the state and guarantee its stability. Political morality and morality are therefore two very different things: the prince must be prepared to commit immoral acts if it facilitates the stability of his rule. Hatred of the people must be avoided at all costs because it implies a class meaning, as noted by Althusser (1999: 101) who describes the ideological Prince as being better placed to support the people than the nobles. Thus, much of Machiavelli's political thought consists of ideology and the actions of the Prince rather than intentions (which, if not always virtuous, must always support the State). It is emphasized that morality does not matter in the very distinct notions of political morality and must be kept aside so that the idea of ​​the Prince and his actions can arouse public goodwill. Machiavelli's political thought includes his analogies between the Prince and the animals and the characteristics they must share. He says that you have to be “a fox to recognize traps and a lion to scare away wolves”. Althusser (1999: 95) explains this dual personality: one must become master of both fraud and force. The lion is very fierce while the fox is very cunning. If a prince possesses these qualities, he can ensure that he is a master of deception who is always one step ahead of others, and at the same time who exercises fear. Additionally, Machiavelli tells of the prince and the centaur. The centaur is both man and beast and thus employs characteristics of both, allowing the Prince to exercise moral virtues that are primarily considered human while simultaneously doing what is necessary, whether devious or "evil", the trait of the animal. . Machiavelli's argument allows us to separate the character of the Prince into two halves, which we can view as advocating both moral and immoral behavior. He insists that it is important to use both to the state's advantage, as virtues will attract popular support and obligatory deception naturally follows the level of cunning a prince must possess. His use of animals to characterize the acts a prince must perform claims that human nature can be a hindrance when in a position of power and cannot survive on its own. The aforementioned aspects of Machiavelli's thought are linked to his ideas of rationality and the common good. As the prince's split personality suggests, he must often commit acts of violence that cannot in any way be considered morally virtuous, but which can instead be considered politically moral. Althusser (1999: 92) states that the Prince belongs to a “different realm of existence” and is therefore not subject to typical ideas of vice and virtue. For him, he must do whatever is necessary to ensure the consolidation of the state and he is judged solely on his success. From now on the Prince is morally virtuous “through political virtue”. Machiavelli's ideas of cruelty and rationality propagate a form of impartial violence, used simply to achieve the ends, that is, a strengthened state. Once notions of morality are removed, violence appears impersonal and orchestrated, making it a practical act. Gilbert (1984: 176) explains this idea of ​​rationality in more detail by stating that Machiavelli follows the line of thought according to which politics is a "demanding mistress" towards which allHuman behavior and action must be adjusted. The commandments of politics therefore reign supreme and man should be entirely “homo politicus”. In essence, it requires man to respond and obey the commands of politics, even if they are fraught with deception and underhanded behavior that cannot be morally justified. Machiavelli must then be considered a proponent of a "rational psychology", adds Gilbert (1984: 190), which means that he believes that the actions of a prince can be rationalized if we consider the positive effect that they will have on the State. Machiavelli redefines the ethics of governance and governance by justifying casual violence because in his view it is completely impersonal and serves a larger purpose. However, it should be noted that he in no way favors violence over peace and morally right actions, even if he sometimes considers it necessary. Although he continually asserts that amoral action might often be most effective when dealing with various political issues, Gilbert (1984:196) reminds us that he has in no way shown a "preference for amoral actions” and that he was not a conscious supporter of amoral action. wrong. It is determined that Machiavelli's intention was not to overturn moral values, but that, as previously mentioned, this was simply not relevant in the context of active politics. Machiavelli also uses the ideas of "fortune" and "virtu" to analyze a prince's rise to power. and its maintenance. Gilbert (1984: 179) defines Machiavelli's use of the word virtu as the “fundamental quality of man” which allows him to accomplish great actions and great works. Virtu is described as an innate quality free from external circumstances and necessary for leadership. It is a resolute will that leads to victory for those who possess it. Machiavelli insists that this is a prerequisite for a successful state and is not limited to the prince alone – for example, it is also possible for the army to have virtu . According to him, governments cannot function without it. Virtu is followed by Fortuna – these are the external circumstances that Virtu is free from and which essentially represent good fortune. Regarding virtu, Machiavelli insists that although fortune may be considered the master of half of an individual's actions, it is entirely possible for humans to oppose it and act as a counterbalance. Gilbert (1985: 194) describes virtu and fortuna as two completely different forces that oppose each other and are in constant competition to determine each person's situation. As countering fortune is only an opportunity offered fleetingly, man must take matters into his own hands in an “encounter between circumstance and individuality”. Althusser explains the meeting of virtu and fortuna in three stages: correspondence, non-correspondence and deferred correspondence. In the correspondence, Fortuna and Virtu meet to form an "enduring principality". In cases of mismatch, fortune alone determines a person's destiny and is considered highly undesirable because the individual in question is not sufficiently endowed with virtu. Delayed correspondence refers to a situation in which the individual is favored by fortune and is able to cope with it with his virtu. Thus, Machiavelli's political theory explores both the microcosm and the macrocosm and how they play a role in determining the Prince. He makes this crucial for the state: as a figurehead, the prince's abilities and wealth have a direct impact on the stability of his reign and the state he rules..