CHAPTER III – CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPALITIES

Excerpts from The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli

By: Lorrin Hunt, Christina

Sargent, Lilia Bracey, & Aldrick

Cabrera

THIS POWERPOINT COVERS QUESTIONS 10 -14

#10. Why is it best to prepare for Future troubles with energy?

#11. What is a pensioner, and why would it have been better for Louis to have left a pensioner of his own as King of Naples?

#12. Explain why there is sometimes praise in wanting to acquire new territory and sometimes folly and blame in the same desire.

#13. Why is committing a blunder to avoid war a mistake?

#14. In your own words, Explain the general rule that Machiavelli gives at the end of this selection.

Machiavelli mentions that he saw the as Romans discerning when they were striving for power, because they always prepared for future troubles. In this, they knew that if plans had not already been set in motion to prepare for troubles in the future, then the consequences to come would be tremendous and fatal. Preparing for the future troubles makes it much easier for you to remedy the troubles when they come.

It would have been better for Louis to have left a pensioner (a person who recieves a pension) of his own as king of Naples because a person who needs Louis’s pension payments in order to is more likely to be loyal to Louis than one who can support himself without the money that Louis provides him.

The desire to acquire new territory can have both folly and blame within it. It is considered great if you can attempt capturing territory and are successful in doing it. However if your attempt is failed it is perceived that you do not know your limits, and people will look down on you.

Committing a blunder to avoid a war is a mistake because Machiavelli is saying that he thinks that it is inevitable; it cannot be avoided. Therefore, avoiding war can only be deferred to your disadvantage.

MACHIAVELLI ’S GENERAL RULE:

“He who is the cause of another becoming powerful is ruined; because that predominancy has been brought about either by astuteness or else by force, and both are distrusted by him who has been raised to power.”

TRANSLATION:

Machiavelli is basically saying that if you are the reason why another person has gained power, you are ruined because they are either very wise or very strong. Even though all of their knowledge has come from you, they now have used it to become stronger than you are and take that power away from you.