Machiavellian Foreign Policy
Niccolo Machiavelli
Machiavelli the Patriot
Machiavelli on citizen warriors
The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy
SparkNotes: Machiavelli & The Prince
Niccolo Machiavelli: Italian Statesman and Political Philosopher
Recommended Book: Donald Weinstein, Savonarola and Florence: Prophecy and Patriotism in the Renaissance (1970) is one book that might be helpful in writing on Machiavelli as a patriot (helpful for defining patriotism in the Renaissance era)
Question: Which theorist do you view as more "patriotic" - Machiavelli in The Prince or Socrates in The Apology and Crito?
My Answer:
Plato and Machiavelli were political philosophers – one in the 4th century B.C., the other in the 1500s. Plato wrote The Apology and The Crito on the trial and execution of his mentor, Socrates, with emphasis on Socrates’ mission and political views. Machiavelli wrote The Prince as advice on the ways that a prince should rule. In the three writings, both Socrates and Machiavelli appear to be patriotic; however, through analysis of the main points brought up in each of the three, in can be decided that Socrates was the more patriotic of the two.
In The Prince, Machiavelli writes in the hopes of attaining a position of political influence, so his words may not be a reliable illustration of his true level of patriotism. In The Apology, Socrates speaks in his defense to avoid execution. In addition, patriotism may have appeared in different forms in the two eras. Support of the Florentine government and enthusiasm about the Italian government during the Italian Renaissance was rare considering the presence of the French and Spaniards, as well as the overall low morale of the country’s citizens. Patriotism during Socrates’ era was more common as a result of the direct participation of all male citizens in the political process, as noted in “Pericles’ Funeral Oration”. Socrates’ actions, for his time, may have been less patriotic in that he was going against the laws enforced by the majority of the Athenian people; whereas Machiavelli was not contending against the masses – he was simply stating how to rule the politically-dormant masses. However, of the two, Socrates seems to be more patriotic – wanting the best for the people of Athens and the Athenian political system.
The Apology is based on the trial of Socrates, in which he was indicted for “corrupting the young and not believing in the gods in whom the city believes.” Socrates explains that, by practicing philosophy, he is not trying to defy the laws of the city – he simply attempts to uncover the false knowledge held by the Athenians and discover the true motives by which they act. Socrates strives to make Athens and its political system more efficient and virtuous by questioning the citizens of Athens about how they operate the city and what they consider to be just. Rather than rebelling against what he considers to be an unjust society, Socrates seeks to better it; this can be considered patriotic. However, the opposite can also be found in this argument: Socrates may appear unpatriotic by attempting to change a society accepted by the majority of the people. Recognizing that his wisdom of things in general was superior to the wisdom of the politicians could appear unpatriotic as well, assuming that support of the representatives accepted by the majority was a typical form of patriotism in the Athenian democracy. Despite being charged for going against the system, Socrates displays his loyalty to the city by respecting the law and the decision of the jury. Socrates justifies his decision to remain in jail through his explanation in The Crito: by deciding to live in Athens, he had agreed to an unwritten social contract to obey the Athenian laws or suffer the penalties otherwise; therefore, it would be unjust to withdraw from this contract by attempting to escape. His respect for the city’s decision to terminate his life is, in some sense, patriotic. This patriotism is particularly apparent when he chooses to submit to the obligation he has to his country over the obligation he has to his sons.
By criticizing the Athenian political system, as mentioned The Apology, Socrates may not have been respecting Athenian law, but his respect for the Athenian system becomes prominent in The Crito. As his execution approaches, Socrates expresses his patriotism during his debate with Crito. By stating that the crime of someone in a position such as his might encourage similar criminal activity in others, and therefore might contribute to a higher crime rate and the ultimate deterioration of the legal system, Socrates persuades Crito that his death is just. Socrates exemplifies his patriotism by choosing to preserve the political and legal systems of Athens instead of preserving his own life.
Machiavelli would find Socrates’ actions ridiculous; he would opt for self-preservation over morality or the preservation of the government. In The Prince, Machiavelli writes words of advice to Lorenzo, particularly regarding the importance of self-preservation by any means, whether moral or not. However, Machiavelli’s emphasis on the necessity to rid Italy of foreign powers, particularly the Spaniards and the French, displayed some patriotism, as did his desire for the “unification” of Florence as a city and Italy as a whole. Machiavelli exhibited additional patriotism through his support of the Medici family and his seeming desire to help them get a strong grip on power; however, the cynical mockery of the Medici family hidden in The Prince contradicts this argument of patriotism. In a way, Machiavelli’s mockery illustrates his lack of respect for the Florentine government and highlights the selfish motives by which he wrote the letter to the Medici family. Although The Prince honestly could have helped Lorenzo get a powerful grip on Florence, Machiavelli truly wrote the letter in the hopes of attaining a position of political influence for himself. This desire to participate in the governance of the city could be seen as patriotic, but his selfish motives force one to believe it to be unpatriotic.
The people of Italy recognized Machiavelli’s untrue patriotism when The Prince was released to the public.* With the return of the Medici family into power, Machiavelli was made a pariah in Florence for his participation in the in the Republic under the Grand Council on the basis of the accusation that he assisted in an attempt to reinstate the republic in 1513; he was cast out to live in the countryside where he could have no influence on the politics of Florence. The Prince made the people of Florence much more adamant about their decision to make him forlorn. The people recognized that Machiavelli lacked compassion for the people who the government was made to serve, and therefore considered him unpatriotic. Previously, it also was acknowledged that The Prince dealt not with any of the present-day Florentine problems. It is believed that Lorenzo was quick to dismiss Machiavelli’s advice – a wise move in gaining the support of the people.
Although there are obviously many arguments in favor of Machiavelli as a patriot of his time, Socrates seems to have a greater passion for his city; therefore, the argument stating Socrates to be more patriotic is justified. Machiavelli may have practiced a lawful approach to political activism, but his advice, had it been accepted by Lorenzo, most likely would not have contributed to the improvement of Florence and the Florentine government. On the other hand, Socrates was honestly trying to make Athens and the Athenian government better by making the citizens and their representatives more virtuous and just in the way they act.
Although patriotism technically means “to love one’s country and support its interests,” Socrates and Machiavelli exhibited patriotism in a different way: they were patriotic in their attempts to make their cities better, but did not show love for their cities as they were. So, in a sense, neither Socrates nor Machiavelli was patriotic by definition. In fact, they were both ostracized for being “unpatriotic.” However, I believe that both men supported the interests of their cities, although the people of Athens and Florence did not recognize that at the time. In The Prince, Machiavelli spoke in the interest of Florence, saying that Florence needed to be ruled with an iron fist if it were to flourish again under the rule of the Medici. Socrates, in his practices, tried to make Athens a better, more virtuous city, but had to go against the ways of the city to do so. In both cases, the men were renounced as disloyal and unpatriotic, but were later recognized for the worthiness of their suggestions. Now, many arguments exist to prove that both men were patriots; but by my definition of the word patriot, I believe Socrates to be the more patriotic of the two.
