Why is it better for the prince to be feared rather than loved according to Machiavelli?
Answers
Answer:
The reason for this is simple: humans will support someone they love most of the time, but that love is limited as a motivation: other loves, and dangers, can cause the subjects to no longer support the ruler. A ruler that is loved is loved only as long as that love can lead to gain for the subjects: once their power weakens, their subjects quickly forget their love.
In contrast, if the subjects fear the ruler, that fear will act as a stronger guarantee of support: a ruler that is feared will be supported out of fear of what lack of support will lead to.
A good example of this is Machiavelli's thoughts of Savonarolla: Girolamo Savonarola. In short, Savonarolla was a friar who achieved great popularity in Florence, and was greatly loved by many while he was in power. Yet as soon as his power weakened, his followers abandoned him. In the words of Niccolo:
If Moses, Cyrus, Theseus, and Romulus had been unarmed they could not have enforced their constitutions for long — as happened in our time to Fra Girolamo Savonarola, who was ruined with his new order of things immediately the multitude believed in him no longer, and he had no means of keeping steadfast those who believed or of making the unbelievers to believe.
A strong ruler, therefore, will not make himself unarmed and trust in the good nature and love of his subjects, but will take action to insure that they also fear betraying him. The strongest ruler is one who can do both, the next best is one who can be feared, the weakest is one who depends on love alone.
Explanation:
Answer:
The reason for this is simple: humans will support someone they love most of the time, but that love is limited as a motivation: other loves, and dangers, can cause the subjects to no longer support the ruler. A ruler that is loved is loved only as long as that love can lead to gain for the subjects: once their power weakens, their subjects quickly forget their love.
In contrast, if the subjects fear the ruler, that fear will act as a stronger guarantee of support: a ruler that is feared will be supported out of fear of what lack of support will lead to.
A good example of this is Machiavelli's thoughts of Savonarolla: Girolamo Savonarola. In short, Savonarolla was a friar who achieved great popularity in Florence, and was greatly loved by many while he was in power. Yet as soon as his power weakened, his followers abandoned him. In the words of Niccolo:
If Moses, Cyrus, Theseus, and Romulus had been unarmed they could not have enforced their constitutions for long — as happened in our time to Fra Girolamo Savonarola, who was ruined with his new order of things immediately the multitude believed in him no longer, and he had no means of keeping steadfast those who believed or of making the unbelievers to believe.
A strong ruler, therefore, will not make himself unarmed and trust in the good nature and love of his subjects, but will take action to insure that they also fear betraying him. The strongest ruler is one who can do both, the next best is one who can be feared, the weakest is one who depends on love alone.