Perhaps even more famous than Plato, Machiavelli's name has become more well known as an adjective (Machiavellian) rather than the name an actual person. The main cause for Machiavelli's success in the world of rhetoric is this essay, The Morals of a Prince. To be short, people from the 16th century often discussed which moral values make a person of power and leadership such as a prince successful and not dead. Scholars from that time would say that it is better to be a good prince or a bad prince based shallow reasoning and somewhat clouded logic; Machiavelli thoroughly researched and hypothesized about this topic from an unbiased perspective that allowed him to really answer certain questions with historic proofs and logic. This put him a step ahead of his time, in my opinion, because the ability to find the answers to questions that are as sensational to different powerful groups like the church and state did not typically smile upon those of the 16th century.
The most prevalent writing trait found in Machiavelli's writing is logos. His appeal to reason is uncanny, as shown in his writing here, "....for if you exercise you generosity in a really virtuous way, as you should, nobody will know of it, and you cannot escape the odium of the opposite vice. Hence, if you wish to be widely known as a generous man, you must seize every opportunity to make a big display of your giving. A prince of this character is bound to use up his entire revenue in works of ostentation." Logos aplenty.
I would also like to note what Machiavellian refers to with respect to a person. Often times, it means, when referring to a person, that the ends justify the means to a person's case. For example, if you're a prince and you'd like to stay a prince, you wouldn't necessarily be concerned with the well-being of your populous unless it concerns you; staying a prince is the top priority, in other words. It's important to include this adjective in my analysis of Machiavelli's, The Morals of a Prince, because it is this point of view that is truly represented in his essay, which is why this essay was included in the book, 50 Essays, in the first place, and why it's an important book to read.
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8 comments:
Connor, I thought that the way you made Machiavelli's purpose and meaning clear was a really nice touch. Also, a little critique, I wish you'd have made a little more explanation about the whole logos thing, even though it was plain, it would've been nice. I <3 Connor
Connor, I like that you tried to clear up what Machiavelli was trying to get across. Maybe a little more discussion on the rhetorical devices that he used would be good. I haven't read the story though so I don't really know.
Though I haven't read this essay, I feel that you should have included more about rhetorical devices and the author's tone and fluency. Even though it was lacking a little in those areas, you analysis still makes me want to read this essay.
Connor,
I read this essay too, and I really enjoyed it. What I thought was interesting was were the author stated that generosity and love can actually bring you down and "...that it's better to be feared than loved". After reading through all of the essay, I found myself agreeing with the statement; did you feel the same way? I liked your post, but describing the rhetorical devices would have been a good addition.
You showed your knowledge on the subject in your post and added your opinion nicely. However, more description of the rhetorical devices would have been helpful.
You really analyzed this Machiavelli guy didn't you? A little more reasoning behind your beliefs though.sorry.
I think you have a good start, but you should have more examples behind each point. It will make your argument much more convincing. Right now it seems more like casual observations with some googling, so I suggest beefing up your view points a bit more.
I think you have a good start, but you should have more examples behind each point. It will make your argument much more convincing. Right now it seems more like casual observations with some googling, so I suggest beefing up your view points a bit more.
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