Ashley Lindemann
One of the main points that
Machiavelli makes in The Prince is that it is better for a prince to be feared
than loved. According to Machiavelli, a prince that is loved does not have a
secure leadership. Even though a loved prince may have a strong relationship
with his people if his subjects benefit from betraying him they will do so
unless they have consequences to fear. Love is an internal feeling and these
feelings can easily come and go. Fear, on the other hand, is a more reliable
leadership tactic because no one wants to be harmed. Machiavelli believes that
being feared is required in order for a prince to be successful because this is
the only way that his people will remain loyal to him.
Personally, I think that respect is
more important than both love and fear. When an authority figure who I love tells me
what to do I obey out of respect rather than fear. For example, I highly
respect my parents. When they direct me or tell me what to do I listen to them
because I value their opinions and respect the decisions they make. If I do
disobey them I always feel guilty because I know that I let them down. When my
parents punish me, my feelings of respect for them are the reason I do not
rebel further. This is why I think that respect is a good mix between fear and
love. You may not love your leader, but you respect them enough to obey their
decisions, and you may not fear your leader, but you respect and consequently
you do not want to rebel against their rule.
I believe the reason that the
United States has been successful in keeping a generally peaceful, united
country is because the citizens respect it. The United States has remained one
of the top countries in the world without using fearful types of government. I
think it is interesting that even though many people disagree with the
president’s opinions and decisions citizens of the United States choose not to
leave the country because they know that America has one of the most respected
government systems. US citizens must follow the laws set by the government, but
they are allowed to state their own opinions about whether they agree or
disagree with them. In many other countries this would result in punishment or
even harm.
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DeleteAshley,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your choice of fear as a leadership tactic. I too believe it to be more reliable and stable than love. However, I disagree with your personal opinion that respect is more important than love and fear. I find your example of your parents a bit weak, but that may just be due to the different parental relationships we have. My mother used fear to teach good habits and behavior from a young age. It's the same in society, there are always consequences to our actions and we obey the higher power due to fear of those consequences. I believe a prince must first either be loved or feared before they can be respected. If a prince's people would benefit from betraying him, but do not fear the consequences of their actions, they will do so in spite of their respect for him. A prince that is respected and feared can punish his people at the first sign of rebellion and maintain his rule.
I also do not agree with the opinion that we respect our government. Many people are upset with many aspects of government, but they know that this country is safe and secure unlike many others. We have seen what our country is capable of throughout the years and I believe we are afraid and so we obey. Many countries live in fear of things other than their government, but living in fear of government is a stable way to live if that government is generally good to its people.
Ultimately, I agree with Machiavelli and his idea of fear as the best way to rule.