Free Custom «The Qualities of the Prince» Essay Paper

Niccolo Machiavelli makes a strong case for the qualities a prince should possess and the things he should shun away from. Although his work goes back to ancient times it still finds relevance to the modern society and politics. Modern “princes” also care for their reputation and therefore they should pay attention to events happening around them and to respond properly to those events. Although military force may not be such a wide-spread solution to different problems, there are still other ways for a prince to protect his people and himself.

In the modern society it is not quite necessary to hold extensive military power in order to feel safe. In fact, countries nowadays try to find subtler ways to receive what they desire and to influence other nation-states. This does not mean though that the princes should be weak-willed or submissive. Machiavelli states the following. “A prince, therefore…ought to hold of little account a reputation for being mean, for it is one of those vices which will enable him to govern” (Machiavelli 77). It can be deducted from this statement that the prince should be a strong personality.

In today’s world there are several examples when being disarmed can actually help the leaders to be respected. For instance, a lot of countries have abandoned their nuclear potential in order to promote safer world based on mutual trust. According to international treaties, those countries cannot be assaulted by others, so this is the case when being disarmed is beneficial. Moreover, a country nowadays can be armed more successfully with economic tools, political pressure, or international community support.