If you were a leader, would you rather be feared or loved? Until just recently, I supported the opinion that it was better to be loved. I think most of us agree we would prefer a kind leader rather than one who uses fear to control others. Machiavelli, author of The Prince argued that leaders must be feared. At first, I thought his words provided justification for tyrants and dictators. Surprisingly, when I researched his essay further, I started to agree with Machiavelli. You can also learn about Machiavelli's intentions in this video. By understanding Machiavelli's background and the reality of leadership, let me explain why Machiavelli is right:
1. Machiavelli witnessed political chaos and overthrown leaders. In exile, Machiavelli wrote The Prince based on his experiences with politics. In his day, Italy appeared leaderless, lawless, torn, and overrun. He believed Italy required a strong, fearful ruler in order to unite the people.
2. Fear leads to respect. If a leader is too nice, the laws of the land will appear less strict. Hence, it becomes easier for people to rebel. Strength and discipline are required to control the people and gain their respect.
3. Being loved is good, but dangerous. Machiavelli argued that "Men are less afraid to offend a prince they love than one they fear." Being loved jeopardizes the safety of the leader. However, Machiavelli also warned to "not make men hate [them]." Hate would also put the leader in danger because the citizens may want to cause them harm.
4. Fear helps to maintain justice. Machiavelli wrote, "[Leaders] should be ready and able to do evil when necessary. At first, I thought this statement was very harsh. However, when put into context, I believe this statement is meant for interactions with criminals. Being "evil" in this case means to be cruel and bring justice to those who hurt others. Nevertheless, cruelty should only be used to benefit the state, not the ruler.
Under these circumstances, one can understand why Machiavelli advocated for fear. The Prince is not meant to bring about wicked leaders. It is meant to provide a stable nation and benefit the population by avoiding political chaos. I hope you will also take these ideas into account and not fear the words of Machiavelli.
Image credit: Photo by Prince David on Unsplash
I think it's interesting that Machiavelli focuses on fear, not as a tactic to scare people into submission, but as a turning point for respect in society. For me, respect is fundamental to a productive society, and completely necessary for a leader. It makes me wonder who is truly more successful in a political atmosphere: one who is loved by the public, or one who is known to be just and focused on the state? It is becoming clear to me that those two are not the same thing.
ReplyDeleteA very good point! I think that while we are right to be wary of dictators, in my experience most dictators start as demogogues.
DeleteI like this perspective! This makes me think of how in the scriptures it so often says that we should fear God. God is the strongest of all leaders and asks that we both love and fear him. He also acts in a way that compels men to love and fear him. God is both strict and merciful. Mercy is not given without some amount of compliance however. Clearly Machiavelli's leadership principles are much deeper and complex than people think when they quote a one liner from him.
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