Why do some people say it's satire?
>>1119623
Because they're dumb cunts.
>>1119623
modern culture is almost entirely opposed to the ideas within, leading to an inability to understand how a person could believe these things unless it is a joke of some kind. The prince is antithetical to modern intellectualism
>>1119723
this
>>1119723
Please elabortate. What exactly are these ideas antithetical to modern intellectualism?
>>1119623
Because his other writings and his actions in real life show that he was a republican who actually hated those held up as good examples in The Prince.
There are also those who think it is not so much satire as a trap for would-be despots, with bad advice mixed in.
>>1119723
>modern culture
People have been saying it was satire since it was written. It's not a modern reinterpretation.
>>1119623
Because some people are too stupid to understand that you don't need to like reality to face it.
>>1119763
What's some of the bad advice he gives then?
>>1119736
You're asking to be spoon fed. Read it, it'll take you an hour or two.
>>1119736
*The public has no real sense of loyality to any politician, you can be a good ruler for decades and if things go bad for a just a few months the public will turn on you. They are also idiots and incapable of understanding what it really takes to run a nation. As a result the best way to control them is to lie or appeal to their emotions
*Deception and lying are ok.
*It's good to be both feared and loved
*Being cruel in your punishments is good because it makes any potential traitors or enemies intimidated.
*"Good"=anything that grows the nation's economy, military, and power. "bad"=anything that harms it. No methods are forbidden. You should not follow ideas such as "duty" or "piety" or any moral codes, they will just fuck you up. However you want to trick the dumb public into thinking that you do.
The thing is Machievalli's politics are actually how the world works. Anyone not playing the dirty tricks will be easily defeated by someone that puts no limits on himself. However the average citizen reading the book in college is going to be deeply pissed off at the idea. Rosseu hated the book because it directly went against his hippy ideology, he was the first to try to refute the book saying it was all a joke.
>>1119861
>You're asking to be spoon fed.
No he's not, you've just said something outrageous and now are refusing to justify it.
>>1119866
>*"Good"=anything that grows the nation's economy, military, and power. "bad"=anything that harms it. No methods are forbidden. You should not follow ideas such as "duty" or "piety" or any moral codes, they will just fuck you up. However you want to trick the dumb public into thinking that you do.
That's wrong. The Prince is about how to gain and maintain power, not for how to make the state rich.
>>1119820
e.g., that you should arm a conquered people and live among them, in order to win their loyalty. This piece of advice never seems to be followed, because of the fairly obvious alternative outcome (you get murdered).
>>1119885
>This piece of advice never seems to be followed
The romans did exactly that tho. Upon defeating italic tribes, they imposed military duties upon them and settled in their land.
>>1119893
Roman leaders lived in Rome.
>>1119893
yeah guess how that worked out for their leaders
>>1119723
this
Cowardice and conformism are traits of bourguoise scum since forever.
>>1119623
Most people who aren't actual historians of the renaissance? Because a Cracked article said so.
>>1119918
It actually worked out spectacularly until they fucked it up by sperging out like retards.
