Machiavelli - THE PRINCE: Why It's BAD To Be GOOD

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Machiavelli's The Prince is one of the most important works of political theory every written. But is it also a work of pure evil? Machiavelli has developed a reputation as a teacher of evil because what Machiavelli says in the prince is striking: he is an apologist for tyrants and advises treachery and betrayal when advantageous. However, a careful reading of Machiavelli's The Prince reveals that he might not be the whole picture. Machiavelli might also be sensitive the both the needs and the power of the people; and the people's interests might place a real check on the tyrannical appetites of the machiavellian prince.
This is a podcast and a philosophy lecture. It will provide you with a helpful introduction to Machiavelli's The Prince.
#Machiavelli #Prince #lecture
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[@bigfrankfraser1391]

when i read Machiavelli i always think of the age old saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" and as my history teacher once said "sometimes you have to play the villain to be the hero"

[@annaciechanowicz4668]

Just a "fun fact" - when all of Machiavelli's works were on catholic church's "Index of Prohibited Books" - desktop of cardinal Richelieu was coverd always with two books and one of them was "Prince"

[@jalalryz]

Machiavelli isn’t just speaking about politics, he’s speaking about human nature. People forget we are animals with animal instincts.

[@antispindr8613]

Ever thought, as with much online 'logic', that his was a self-serving comment aimed at hiding some pretty questionable ideas? For are we are we not human beings with brains and thinking abilities?

[@Ollie80p]

Instead of reading the actual book I’m watching KZbin videos about it, and this is the most interesting of them all!! You are very fun to watch 🥰 thank you for making this ❤

[@GreatBooksProf]

I’m glad you’re enjoying them, but the books themselves are even more interesting! 😉

[@user-wn4hh2yh3f]

One that is feared is very much closer to being hated as well. Care must be taken to avoid having the later.

[@markofsaltburn]

The Prince is a warning for the virtuous to help keep good alive by keeping the devil inside them.

[@willowwainwright7687]

Them being us as well ...its truely a modern day" Dante's Inferno"

[@stevesteve7162]

He right

[@stevesteve7162]

Being good has it's big problems. Lonelynsss n etc

[@antispindr8613]

Has taken from the Little Handbook of Dodgy Ideas?

[@jackolantern2yt]

Most people forget, when evaluating Machiavelli's work, that he was writing circa 1500, in a society very different from ours. I'm sure that his advice in "The Prince" reflected the political realities of the era he lived in.

[@abdallahbrahimi1058]

Many thanks dear prof for this refreshing lecture, I did Humanities last year and I have to admit Machiavelli was the most unique lecture that i ever had , this will definitely lead us to think of our political leaders and how Machiavellian they are no matter their political ideology is !

[@GreatBooksProf]

Machiavelli really does make an impression doesn’t he?

[@willowwainwright7687]

@@GreatBooksProf Your excellent. I see your inner Prince

[@piotrciura]

Sounds like a description of one of the world’s super power country…

[@hawasattar2241]

Say who u think

[@sukottoshinobe7360]

He covers personal freedom and liberty in the discourses on Livy. He was a supporter of republics. The prince was written as a guide to rulers and it serves as a guide to see through tyrants

[@user-tm3xp9ph2v]

You are such a good teacher. Love from India

[@Kejsaren]

Really enjoyed this! Many commentators who review the Prince take a rather pessimistic view and condemn Machiavelli as a two dimensional villain. I really appreciate the balanced approach you take!

[@GreatBooksProf]

Thanks. He’s definitely a subtle thinker.

[@bigfrankfraser1391]

@@GreatBooksProf subtle thinking is something i would love to learn more on, as its fascinating the way Machiavelli thinks

[@richardque1036]

He was not evil,he was a political realist.and brutally honest the other was otto von bismark,( or henry kissinger).

[@jackryan1809]

bro, I forgot about your channel, and you suddenly popped up. bout to get my daily dose of some enlightenment, have a good day lol.

[@penandsword4386]

Machiavelli wrote two books (actually more than two) BUT, the issue is sincerity . His earlier work "The Prince " is a short comedy, a political parody, aimed at the Medici family and their takeover of his beloved city-state of Florence . His serious book was "Discourses On Livy" , a 500 page study and exposition on constitutional government.

[@JPBGdeSouza]

Hey Prof! Thanks for the video! Can I recommend a lecture on Stephen Greenblatt's Pulitzer winner "The Swerve".

[@mojahangard]

I really appreciate McCormack and Benner's reading of Machiavelli. Exposing the actions of the rulers as compared to the rhetoric (propaganda), and the consequences of these actions, and educating the populace to learn to read the behaviors and mannerism of the rulers (patricians) to safeguard the freedoms of a republic. I tend to agree with this reading Perhaps, Strauss was using Machiavelli as a mouthpiece to teach the philosophers in training to usurp the authority of the ancients - and by comparison Machiavelli may be considered an ancient by our standards - to bring about the modes and norms for the true rulers to rule.

[@NickDorogavtsev]

Awesome! I really need to re-read The Prince 🤴

[@apexhacker346]

This man needs a discord and I'm here before he becomes a national treasure

[@GreatBooksProf]

Thanks Tristan! I really appreciate that. This post makes me think of that Nicholas Cage movie. Lol.

[@birdwatchingandmoltoaltro4985]

You deserve way more views !

[@GreatBooksProf]

Thanks. I appreciate that.

[@willowwainwright7687]

@@GreatBooksProf How about the Sisters to Avalon? I hear Merlin was really a camel and Then the Lady of the Lake a keeper of Excalibur. Or Could ...The Sword and the Stone actually be a metaphor for some of those secret divine set'st or pairs. I really enjoyed your lecture and while l am sarcastic you definitely inspired me to think about being Stupified myself sometime. Be well

[@willowwainwright7687]

A" Maltese " Falcon?

[@birdwatchingandmoltoaltro4985]

@@GreatBooksProf After 1 year, I am here again rewatching this video for another course of Political Philosophy. Always great material and insights, and always good to refresh the arguments! Thank you!

[@GreatBooksProf]

@@birdwatchingandmoltoaltro4985 Haha. That’s great! Welcome back. See you next year! 😂

[@willowwainwright7687]

You have the Machiavellian touch

[@GreatBooksProf]

That might be a bad thing! 😂 Thanks, Willow!

[@willowwainwright7687]

@@GreatBooksProf l dont think so how will we ever learn to reverse the 1984 and Aldous Huxley dystopian plan unless we get creative we just have to be certainnwe come back truthfull"they "are or have already made their way into our homes with Wi-Fi and have you read the very definitely credible articles on Helium being mines for WiFi and Etherium as well as the coolant for all these fucking Space x trips destroying our layered atmosphere and then tell the sweet PR and schmooze you with mythology all about Apollo and Artemis it males me sick the condescension and l believe the Physicists at Space x ...l mean NASA think were all idiots

[@vesna639]

in machiavelli's time, as now, and before his time, only a select few who were chosen, because they were demented enough & useful pawns for one reason or another in furthering the tyrants' agenda, and they were the ones who were allowed to read on a "need to know" basis, and had access to the rare books that existed, that they were allowed to see, THAT's why machiavelli could so arrogantly and blatantly write what he did in the Prince. But tyrants before and after him knew and followed the same playbook - it only became necessary to write it down because there were more people in the world to keep under false control, and many more ignorant and corrupt people were required for the wrong team to keep false control. The Swamp's cookie cutter plan was always the same - chaos, force, degradation and murder of the masses, and manipulating the gameboard in order to get the People that were allowed to remain alive, jumping through so many hoops, distractions, hardships - including flooding the world with more and more "books," magazines and "information" via internet that are complete garbage, pointing in the wrong direction, and all but destroying the ability of children to think by means of "schooling" aka brainwashing, violence, trauma based mind control, & tv, sexualization and perversion, and other distractions and wastes of time and energy, including war and regularly culling the masses so they aren't a threat to the tyrants who turned up the machiavellian dial, knowing that very few could manage to get free of the Swamp to ever think and see clearly, and for a long time could be pegged off with relative ease. Nobody believed them anyway, and by means of lateral violence, the People were made to attack one another and do the Swamp's dirty work for them : ) But it's been a rugby game between consciousness and unconsciousness from the beginning, which unconsciousness can't win, and never gets anywhere - there's nowhere to get where darkness is concerned, but out. It's the Conscious that have and are moving the Team forward, in spite of the machiavellis that plague and do nothing but try to oppress Humanity and a false sense of control.

[@alphaanimates2310]

Sounds more Orwellian to me

[@coreynash3536]

The tyrant agenda is control and slavery to steal light energy. The secret book of knowledge is the devils truth, and it's lie!🙏

[@ferhaghondascave5484]

Of course it portrays evil,as much as the 48 laws of power portrayes the nasty habits of those in power but having seen an interview Robert Green did where he defends in saying that he merely teaches people to know and be aware of the antics rather than trying to persuade them to follow the laws (in relation to law 15: crush your enemy)

[@stevesteve7162]

fuxk it

[@hawasattar2241]

Thx Prof for a great explaination. Look at the war of GREED in 2024.

[@DailyLifeSolution]

Can you please produce a video on Robert A. Heinlein's book Starship Troopers?

[@willowwainwright7687]

Yes l w ould be flexible for a lesson

[@gean2505]

Thanks for the explanation 🥹

[@GreatBooksProf]

My pleasure!

[@Rico-Suave_]

Watched all of it 14:02

[@GreatBooksProf]

Thanks for watching!

[@jayantkweera7708]

Which is the Best translation for the Book : The Prince (Niccolo Machiavelli)

[@GreatBooksProf]

Most people I know use Mansfield.

[@otisboateng2424]

I always think like this

[@benquinneyiii7941]

Strength

[@xxamulyaxx]

Also do review of James Burnham The Machiavellians.

[@amenhotep7704]

Nah he was actually trolling and exposing... The Prince is pure revolutionary provocative, read between the lines...

[@ananyabhadauria3940]

I LOVEDDDD THIS!

[@GreatBooksProf]

Thanks, Ananya! Glad you loved it! 😄

[@sumitrashankarchamoli8547]

In short , we must befriend the devil in order to save the lord .

[@raybarry4307]

I don't find him saying stay away from someone's woman gross at at all. He was primarily talking about the policy of prima nocta. When a prince would sleep with a newly wedded woman the first night of the marriage. He knew when you did this you created ppl like William Wallace. Over all he was saying be a good kind and providing ruler. But be ready and able to be cut throat when you need to.

[@danielkibira4064]

The kind of advice the president of a certain nation at the centre of east Africa that looks like a 🐠 fish and similarly like a 🕊️ dove should take because he is quickly falling out of favour because his greed and desire to control everybody's property 🤑 knows no bounds.

[@willowwainwright7687]

Maybe some oppression might be productive

[@AwesomeSauce696969]

Well if he's a teacher what does that make you HUH!!??! just kidding 😉

[@GreatBooksProf]

Maybe like... a wannabe teacher of evil? 🤣

[@willowwainwright7687]

@@GreatBooksProf lm present for that class ...my rebellion will be your evaluation...

[@johnkubek4246]

Show me a country whose political leader who was not willing to practice political Machiavellianism for the sake of its citizens and I’ll show you a country that no longer exists.

[@jalalryz]

100% true

[@raginald7mars408]

horrrible "mu Sickkk"!!!!