The Prince

So far, up through chapter thirteen, this text has read like an instruction manual. Which is, of course, it was meant to - if you belong to that particular camp, anyway. However, there was a certain part at the beginning of chapter seven that I found amusing. When Machiavelli is discussing the different ways in which princes come to power, he sets those that rule due to ability over those who are simply fortunate in gaining their position. He says that those of ability are more likely to keep their principality under control, and that the fortunate ones, especially those that inherit power from the ability and toil of their fathers, are generally less capable because they did not personally lay any type of foundation. This made me laugh, considering he dedicated this book to Lorenzo de Medici, whose family ruled practically in this way. Perhaps they were not officially or technically princes, but the power they gained and then held was still handed down in such a manner that Machiavelli believed lead to less successful leaders.
In chapter eight, at the end, he first discusses the use of cruelty. His ideas on this are interesting, and, overlooking what "cruelty" may entail, make a measure of sense. Princes adopt the Band-Aid method; just hurry up and get it over with all at once, like ripping off a bandage. And by not continuously being cruel, the wounds of the initial force can heal up. They won't fester into resentment, but the people will remember what the prince is capable of. The prince may then be able to use the "it-was-for-your-own-good," argument afterward. Not a method I would recommend, but I can't deny Machiavelli does have a point.