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"...the gulf between how one should live and how one does live is so wide that a man who neglects what is actually done for what should be done learns the way to self-destruction rather than self-preservation." (Machiavelli). Discuss.
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"...the gulf between how one should live and how one does live is so wide that a man who neglects what is actually done for what should be done learns the way to self-destruction rather than self-preservation." (Machiavelli). Discuss. The quote given in the essay title refers to Machiavelli's belief that politics, unlike our personal relationships, is not based on an ethical need to act in a just fashion. This essay will set out Machiavelli's beliefs and then examine them to see if he successfully justifies his method of governing. Machiavelli's The Prince was based on similar works that had been written at the time, all of which purported to advise the rulers of the Principalities as to the methods by which they should rule. These other works generally recommended compassion, generosity and a need to be loved by the people as the main factors for being a successful ruler. Machiavelli disagreed....
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