"A prince, therefore, should have no other object, no other thought, no other subject of study, than war, its rules and disciplines, this is the only art for a man who commands..."
Pg. 40
I think that this statement by Machiavelli is just kind of sad to think about. The idea that for men of royal birthright, the only thing on their minds should be war, is not an idea that applies today. Today, men are encouraged to grow and develop their minds in many different areas of study. I don't think it is right to say that a prince should focus primarily on war. The text goes on to say that, "the prince should never turn his mind from the study of war; in times of peace he should think about it even more than in wartime." I think that actually is thoughtful advice, to be prepared even when things are going well. I believe it is a little extreme to say that he should never turn his mind from the study of war however.
What you have said is so true. There is a kind of sadness that comes to our minds when we think about rulers having no other thought in their minds than war. A ruler should only think about the wellness and welfare of the men that have trusted Him with their protection.
ReplyDeleteI agree. It is important for a leader to develop his mind as well so he can become an intellectual thinker and a more rational leader for his country.
ReplyDeleteMachiavelli does mention that they must also study especially the history of other rulers. I do agree that this doesn't apply as much now as it did then but back then it seemed their were many trying to take away what a ruler had. They still do now but not as much by war as by other means.
ReplyDeleteI agree that war must be considered and thought about to some extent so as to not be unfortunately vulnerable. I also agree that war must not be the ONLY thing that is on the mind of a ruler or a prince because that is likely to cause unnecessary violence or disputes.
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