Machiavelli and Mill: Power, Liberty, and Human Nature

Statesmanship and Warcraft

Machiavelli believes that good laws follow naturally from a good military. Machiavelli reverses the conventional understanding of war as a necessary, but not definitive, element of the development of states. Instead, he asserts that successful war is the very foundation upon which all states are built. Much of The Prince is devoted to describing exactly what it means to conduct a good war. But Machiavelli's description of war encompasses more than just the direct use of military force when cities were constantly threatened by neighboring principalities, and the area had suffered through power struggles for many years.

Goodwill and Hatred

To remain in power, a prince must avoid the hatred of his people. It is not necessary for him to be loved; in fact, it is often better for him to be feared. Being hated, however, can cause a prince's downfall. Machiavelli advocates the use of cruelty only insofar as it does not compromise the long-term goodwill of the people. The people's goodwill is always the best defense against both domestic insurrection and foreign aggression. Obtaining the goodwill of the people has little or nothing to do with a desire for the overall happiness of the populace. Rather, goodwill is a political instrument to ensure the stability of the prince's reign.

Prowess and Fortune

Machiavelli often uses the words "prowess" and "fortune" to describe two distinct ways in which a prince can come to power. "Prowess" refers to an individual's talents, while "fortune" implies chance or luck. He attempts to compromise between free will and determinism by arguing that fortune controls half of human actions and leaves the other half to free will.

Virtue

Machiavelli defines virtues as qualities that are praised by others, such as generosity, compassion, and piety. He argues that a prince should always try to appear virtuous, but that acting virtuously for virtue's sake can prove detrimental to the principality.

Human Nature

Machiavelli asserts that a number of traits are inherent in human nature. People are generally self-interested, although their affection for others can be won and lost. They are content and happy so long as they are not victims of something terrible. They may be trustworthy in prosperous times, but they will quickly turn selfish, deceitful, and profit-driven in times of adversity. People admire honor, generosity, courage, and piety in others, but most of them do not exhibit these virtues themselves.

Mill's On Liberty

Liberty encompasses both civil and social liberty. Mill argues that society can only exert authority over behavior that harms other people; anything else is an abrogation of individual freedom.

Tyranny of the Majority

Mill believes this behavior is "tyrannical" when it violates a claim that the minority has as a member of society.

Social Contract

This reflects the idea that society is something that people either explicitly or implicitly agreed to be part of. Social contract theory was first formulated by Rousseau in The Social Contract and defines rights as those things that people would have agreed to have protected by society.

Infallible

Incapable of making a mistake or being wrong.

Fallible

Capable of making mistakes and being wrong.

Mill rejects attempts, either through legal coercion or social pressure, to coerce people's opinions and behavior. He argues that the only time coercion is acceptable is when a person's behavior harms other people; otherwise, society should treat diversity with respect.

Mill justifies the value of liberty through a Utilitarian approach. His essay tries to show the positive effects of liberty on all people and on society as a whole.