“To be feared is much safer than to be loved” is one of the most outrageous statements in The Prince, and that is probably why it is also one of the most famous. The idea that it is better to be feared than loved is repeated throughout the work, and is a central argument of the piece. Machiavelli argues that the reason it is better to be feared is because love involves a “link of obligation,” which because men are fickle, they are willing to break when it is to their advantage. Fear of punishment, however, is something that men cannot escape and will thus be more loyal to.
I think that in a lot of ways Machiavelli is right. If you take “love” to mean that the prince is well liked or popular, then fear of punishment is much more motivating. It’s easy to see how easily the mob can turn against a popular politician when they have no fear of punishment. For example, in our country where we are not necessarily in fear of our president, take a look at how quickly most president’s approval ratings plunge:
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That being said, I do think that if a leader is truly loved, not just liked, then love is a much more powerful motivator than fear. Fear may be safer for most leaders, but it can easily turn to the hate that Machiavelli warns against. Moreover, if a people truly love a leader they are more willing to give more of themselves and will not be trying to “get away” with whatever they can despite fear of punishment.
I think the key here that Machiavelli is missing is the difference between like and love. When you like a politician or leader then you will stand by them in good times. But when trials come up, your like turns to mistrust and disapproval. On the other hand, if you truly love your leader, then when times are tough, you will still stand by them.
ReplyDeleteGood argument even though I disagree. Machiavelli is specifically teaching princes how to retain and increase personal power. The fact of the matter is that if a leader is truly loved he can get more out of his people than a fear leader. But getting your taxpaying subjects to adore you is much easier said than done. Generally, what is good for one man is bad for another. If you try to please everybody, you are going to fail. It is far more dependable to be respected, which is what feared used to mean. It takes a rare leader to make the people love them, so it is advisable to get a general respect to work with, then get to work becoming more powerful.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good idea and representation of why fear is not the most efficient way to go. While I was reading Machiavelli I was also thinking of our Presidents versus other leaders in different countries. I realized how lucky we are to be a government that is "of the People" and not under fearful obedience. I think that you are definitely right that love is a much more powerful virtue then fear because eventually someone will be brave enough to come forward through the fear.
ReplyDeleteI almost talked about this one, but decided not to. I think Machiavelli is right when he says "To be feared is much safer than to be loved". I think "fear" can also be coined as "respected", and if people fear you, they won't dare do anything to harm you. I like that you illustrate how powerful love can be at the same time. I think love can be more beneficial to a leader, but for the most part fear is much better.
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