Sparks Commentary: A review of Machiavelli’s “The Prince” (audiobook)

Monday, May 3, 2021

A review of Machiavelli’s “The Prince” (audiobook)

I had read “The Prince” itself before listening to this audiobook, sometime during the winter of 2006-2007. It was in English translation, since I don’t speak Italian, but it would still seem to have counted for something. Thus, you might expect that I didn’t learn anything from this audiobook. But on the contrary, I learned much from this hour-and-a-half audiobook.

Niccolò Machiavelli

This was partly because of the biographical information that they gave about Niccolò Machiavelli himself. They help to show why Machiavelli decided to write “The Prince.” He was the kind of man who preferred to do politics rather than write about them. But his political career came to an abrupt close when the Medici regime came to power. Thus, he wrote “The Prince” in an attempt to curry favor with the Medici regime. Historians debate about the extent to which he succeeded, but it is clear that he had an influence.

Niccolò Machiavelli

Surprisingly, “The Prince” has been subject to a wide variety of interpretations. Some (like Rousseau) have interpreted it as “satire” – a claim that I respond to here. This audiobook gives a number of quotes from “The Prince,” to show how it was meant to be understood. This clarification is much needed, and helps to dispel some of the myths surrounding his reasons for the writing of “The Prince.”

Niccolò Machiavelli

Machiavelli may be the archetype of the “coldly rational” philosopher. He believed that military might was necessary to hold on to power, and he was right about this. He was on more solid ground when he was talking about the need for a strong military. But along with this rationality was a strong measure of coldness, or the willingness to advance his own interests despite the effects it might have on others. This is why his book has struck many as disturbing, and has been rejected by more democratic writers.

Niccolò Machiavelli

Most notorious is his rejection of traditional notions of ethics – the idea that “the ends justify the means” (to cite an oft-quoted paraphrase). The word “Machiavellian” has entered the political lexicon, and it is rightly somewhat unflattering. According to “The Prince,” a ruler is likely to fail if they have their hands tied by “excessive devotion” to ethics (and I paraphrase him only slightly here). I will not try to make this case further here, since they do so extensively in this audiobook. But suffice it to say that they leave little doubt about the work’s true purpose. His citation of Cesare Borgia as an example of a “good ruler” shows what kind of leadership he was really advocating, and how poorly his prescriptions have aged.

Niccolò Machiavelli

“The Prince” is an infamous book, and it will likely stay that way for years to come. But if you want to understand the true nature of dictatorship, you would do well to read this book, and take Machiavelli’s conclusions with something of a grain of salt. If you don’t want to read the book itself, this audiobook is a reasonably good substitute for it, which helps to introduce you to some of its arguments, and put them into the context of the times.