Nicolò Machiavelli is often called the father of modern political philosophy and political science. Politics is always fierce around Machiavelli’s principles, because there is no politician who has not had to choose between ethical principles and practical action.
A selection of high-profile quotes by Nicolo Machiavelli
On life
- “There is no other way to guard against flattery than to make it clear that you will not be offended by telling the truth; but when everyone can tell you the truth, you lose their respect.”
- “Everyone sees what you appear to be, few feel what you are.”
- “Let fate trample me down, I will see if she is not ashamed.”
- “A man cannot bring himself to turn from the path on which he has hitherto been invariably successful.”
- “There are three kinds of minds: one comprehends everything by himself; the second can understand what the first has comprehended; the third does not comprehend anything by himself and cannot understand what others have comprehended.”
- “The man who endeavours to be virtuous under all circumstances has only to perish among the multitude of those who are not virtuous.”
- “Good deeds are as likely to bring hatred upon oneself as dashing deeds.”
- “Men are always bad until necessity compels them to goodness.”
- “Purpose is what must be kept in mind in all circumstances.”
- “It may, I think, be considered true that fate governs half of our actions, but to govern the other half or so it allows us to govern ourselves.”
On war and power
- “One of the present sovereigns, whom I refrain from naming, does nothing but preach peace and loyalty, in fact he is the worst enemy to both; but if he were to adhere to what he preaches, he would long ago have lost either power or state.”
- “The enemy can be combated in two ways: First, by laws; second, by force. The first way is peculiar to man, the second to the beast.”
- “Whoever wants to live in peace must prepare for war.”
- “He who takes possession of the state, must foresee all offences, to put an end to them together, and not to restore them from day to day; then the people will gradually calm down, and the sovereign can, doing them good, gradually win their favour. He who does otherwise, out of fear or bad intentions, he will never put his sword in its scabbard and will never be able to rely on his subjects, who do not know peace from new and incessant offences. therefore, offences should be inflicted together: the less they are tasted, the less harm from them; favours are useful to do a little at a time, so that they are tasted as best as possible.”
- “If the interests of the motherland are at stake, one should not speculate whether the decision is just or unjust, merciful or cruel, praiseworthy or disgraceful, one should leave all considerations behind and make the decision that is consistent with saving her life and preserving her freedom.”
- “The murder of citizens, treachery, treachery, cruelty, and impiety cannot be called valour; by all these things one may gain power, but not glory.”
- “If a sovereign who does not ask but orders, who is also fearless, who does not fall into the spirit of misfortune, who does not omit the necessary preparations for defence, and who is able by his orders and courage to instil vigour in those around him, seeks support in the people, he will never be deceived by the people and will be convinced of the solidity of such support.”
- “The army by which a sovereign defends his country is either his own, or allied, or mercenary, or mixed. Of mercenary and allied ones there is no use and they are dangerous; never will that power which rests on a mercenary army be strong or durable, because mercenaries are ambitious, corrupt, prone to strife, boisterous with friends and cowardly with the enemy, treacherous and wicked; their defeat is only delayed as much as the decisive attack is delayed; in time of peace they will ruin you no worse than in time of war they will ruin the enemy.”
- “Wars begin when they will, but end them when they can.”
- “Disorder must not be indulged in for the sake of avoiding war, because war will not be avoided, but the advantage of it will be lost. Arms should be resorted to in the last resort, when others prove insufficient.”