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machiavelli's the prince is one of the

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most important turning points in the

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history of western political philosophy

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it was written

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while machiavelli himself was in

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retirement from active political life

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1532

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and prior to that he had worked for the

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medici family in florence

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and he was one of the great dark

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characters

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in the history of western thought in

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some respects he's kind of like the

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darth vader of philosophy he represents

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all that is evil and unholy

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in some respect the spiritual antipode

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of someone like marcus aurelius

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machiavelli is a very secular this

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worldly sort of thinker

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he's the kind of person that plato

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warned us about

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the kind of man who self-consciously

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seeks only the gratification

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of his desire for political power

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a man who

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turns ruthlessness and treachery into

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matters of principle

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and that's what makes him so good at

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them it doesn't it's not that he's

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treacherous or lying or faithless or

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ruthless once in a while he's that way

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all the time

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he's turned it into a system

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in that respect

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the writings of machiavelli which are

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not limited to the prince he also wrote

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a number of historical works a work

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called the discourse on livy he studied

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roman history a great deal

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machiavelli's works our kind of handbook

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on how to be bad particularly

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how to be politically treacherous

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how to gain power

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for machiavelli the ultimate good for

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human beings is the attainment of

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political power and he is not choosy

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about the means whatever works works he

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is

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among the most practical of men

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his idea of an of an excellent

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politician is someone like caesar borgia

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caesar boys mentioned many times in the

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prince and if you know what caesar

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voyager was like he has quite an

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interesting career

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his father is pope alexander vi

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we won't discuss how that could be the

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case of course but he's the illegitimate

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son of alexander vi

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his sister is lucrezia borgia a most

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unpleasant woman who spends a good bit

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of her time poisoning their friends and

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political rivals

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and uh caesar borgia

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was the sort of guy who wouldn't let

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mere family ties get in the way of

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political power his older brother was

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the one who was destined or

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chosen by the father alexander vi to get

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most political performance and

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seize a boy who didn't like that so he

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killed his older brother conspired

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against him and killed him machiavelli

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thinks that's wonderful machiavelli says

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that warms his heart makes him feel

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that's finally somebody sees through

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the lies and the illusions and the

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pretensions of conventional morality for

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machiavelli we live in the jungle we

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live in a totally amoral universe

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independent of scripture independent of

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revealed religion independent of the

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will of god there's only the will of man

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in that respect machiavelli is a

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path-breaking political philosophy no

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matter how evil or pernicious his

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teachings

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we ignore him at our peril

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and

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like it or not there is a dark and

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sparkling brilliance to this like black

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diamonds

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you look at it and you realize that

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however horrifying his conclusions

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there's a certain grim truth in what he

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says

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and we may not accept the entirety of it

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but like it or not the world of politics

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isn't ugly

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profane immoral place at least to a

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great extent

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and those of us who wish to be practical

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politicians will find it very hard to

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keep our hands completely clean

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machiavelli wishes to liberate us

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from

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what he views as being childish insipid

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guilt feelings

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about

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political morality there are no rules in

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politics in the same way and for the

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same reason there are no rules in nature

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with machiavelli we have one of the

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great restatements

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of a political theme introduced in

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western political thought in the first

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book of the republic

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if you stretch your memory back to

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professor rakuti's lectures last

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time when he talked about the republic

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in the first book of the republic

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socrates primary antagonist is a man

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named thrasymachus

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he's a sophist anthrosimicus holds the

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view that justice is the advantage of

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the stronger in other words whoever it

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is that has the most force the most

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military power makes the rules and

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justice is whatever they tell you to do

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so when the nazis win whatever they tell

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you to do is just if the stalinists win

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whatever they tell you is just if

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machiavelli wins or the borgias win

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doesn't matter as long as they have the

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power to coerce you whatever they tell

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you is just

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so simica's view then

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is that

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justice is a simple matter of coercion

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and there is no moral order to the world

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now this view is

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thoroughly criticized

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and at least apparently refuted in the

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first book of the republic

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but

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like all profound ideas resonance of it

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is always at least implicitly in the

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western political tradition

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and machiavelli regains

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the nerve to say there is no moral order

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to the world

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he's the first man to reassert what

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thracemica said in the first book of the

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republic that we live peculiarly and

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exclusively here in the realm of nature

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that there is no metaphysical realm by

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which to judge the good and evil of

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human actions there's only power force

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brutality

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you adjust to it or you succumb to it

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those are your choices

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machiavelli wants to teach us how to

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become tyrannical men and if you stop

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and think about the first book of the

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republic i believe you will recognize

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that thrasymachus has the tyrannical

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soul the soul is driven entirely by

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passion that thinks reason is something

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is an afterthought for the feeble who

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want to make up stories about why we

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ought to be good rather than evil

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machiavelli and thrasymachus both wish

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to liberate us from metaphysics and

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morality

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both of them say

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in this world of

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darkness flux

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double crossing and backstabbing

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the only way to get ahead the only way

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to achieve human felicity human

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happiness human

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goodness is to get them before they get

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you

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donald trump

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recently wrote a book called the art of

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the deal

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you could say that machiavelli's book is

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the art of the double cross

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he not only

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explains how to be treacherous he gives

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you examples

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he calls them from history he calls them

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from

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contemporary politics as well but in

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every case

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he shows that crime not only pays but

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that goodness is a waste of time and

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goodness will ultimately be your

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downfall

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in some respects machiavelli's project

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is like that of friedrich nietzsche

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it'll be a re-evaluation of all values

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he's going to stand the christian and

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the platonic view of righteousness

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of political morality on its head

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all the things that we previously

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thought to be good turn out to be evil

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all the things that we previously

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thought to be evil turn out to be good

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or if not good pleasurable practical

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useful

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handy

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machiavelli

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has written a number of works the prince

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which is his most famous work is a

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remarkably brief piece of work usually

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when a great philosopher has some

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important message to

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give

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he can't control his pain and if you

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look at say aquinas's theologica it goes

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on and on and on it's interminable

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machiavelli has not written that sort of

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a book it's a 90-page book in and out

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it's meant to be a practical handbook

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for the tyrant

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machiavelli's book

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the prince was joseph stalin's favorite

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work he kept it on his night table

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and it's not hard to see why it shows

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you how to be a good tyrant a good in

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the sense of effective good in the sense

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of practical not good in the sense of

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morally good because that's only for old

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ladies and kids

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nobody seriously believes that stuff

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now this may sound like a very cynical

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set of ideas in fact it is

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but although it is very cynical there is

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an element of it which is practical

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which is true like it or not

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if you are completely good completely

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virtuous i am not certain that you will

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be a completely effective and efficient

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politician i don't know that i want the

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president to be as kind and as

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thoughtful and as philosophical as

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marcus aurelius maybe we would be harmed

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as much as benefited by that

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i am sure on the other hand that i don't

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want the president to be like

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machiavelli's prince because it's a sure

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thing we will be harmed rather than

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benefited by that

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prior to going into seclusion and

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writing this book

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machiavelli had

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worked for the medici family in florence

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who were influential figures in

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florentine and thus in italian politics

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and

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although he had been serving them and

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helping them out and advising them on

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political matters the medici had been

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thrown out of florence had been chased

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out and with them goes machiavelli he

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goes into retirement

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now there's a definite sense here that

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here's a man who's very intelligent very

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bright but awfully frustrated he gives

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you that sense when you read the book of

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being a monday morning quarterback god

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how he wants to go back into there in

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practical politics he hates being among

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the musty books in the library it's not

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interesting to him what he primarily

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wants is to run people's lives what he

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primarily wants is political power and

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after he gets political power what he

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wants then is more political power

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00:09:30,399 --> 00:09:34,000
because you can never have enough

283
00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:36,080
as socrates pointed out about the

284
00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:38,080
tyrannical man this is a thirst that can

285
00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:40,560
never be slaked no matter how much

286
00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:42,560
satisfaction you get for these desires

287
00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:44,399
nothing is ever enough you're like

288
00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:46,239
someone that can't get enough to eat or

289
00:09:44,399 --> 00:09:47,759
can't get enough to drink no matter how

290
00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,759
much you eat a drink it's never

291
00:09:47,759 --> 00:09:52,159
satisfactory so here's one of the great

292
00:09:49,759 --> 00:09:53,600
dissatisfied individuals and he's even

293
00:09:52,159 --> 00:09:55,519
more dissatisfied because he's forced to

294
00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:59,200
be an armchair quarterback and no one is

295
00:09:55,519 --> 00:09:59,200
more practical than nicola machiavelli

296
00:09:59,278 --> 00:10:04,078
he dedicates his book

297
00:10:01,759 --> 00:10:08,000
to one of the medici family and it's one

298
00:10:04,078 --> 00:10:10,159
of the most flowery and flattering and

299
00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:11,120
adoring introductions one could possibly

300
00:10:10,159 --> 00:10:12,879
imagine

301
00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:14,159
and of course it's no less cynical than

302
00:10:12,879 --> 00:10:16,639
the rest of the book

303
00:10:14,159 --> 00:10:18,879
the book itself tells the wise prince

304
00:10:16,639 --> 00:10:20,720
the monarch the he who would be tyrant

305
00:10:18,879 --> 00:10:22,078
that he must be very careful to avoid

306
00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:24,720
flatterers because flatterers are

307
00:10:22,078 --> 00:10:24,719
dangerous men

308
00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:30,799
your noble highness

309
00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:33,278
a clever fellow like the medici for whom

310
00:10:30,799 --> 00:10:34,958
machiavelli is writing the book

311
00:10:33,278 --> 00:10:37,200
is going to see through

312
00:10:34,958 --> 00:10:38,879
the introduction but then wonder do i

313
00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,399
want this guy on my side or do i want

314
00:10:38,879 --> 00:10:42,320
him on someone else's side this is a

315
00:10:40,399 --> 00:10:44,559
very difficult thing to consider a

316
00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:46,399
difficult concern for a real prince look

317
00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:48,000
at the examples that we get in the in

318
00:10:46,399 --> 00:10:50,799
machiavelli's the prince

319
00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:52,240
he gives examples of how to take over

320
00:10:50,799 --> 00:10:54,639
countries that you are born to for

321
00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:57,440
example if your father is the king and

322
00:10:54,639 --> 00:10:58,958
your f and your your father dies how you

323
00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:00,720
take succession there very easy the

324
00:10:58,958 --> 00:11:02,559
people will accept it you won't have any

325
00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:04,240
problem with them and when you are

326
00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:06,479
trying to establish your rule as a new

327
00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:07,919
ruler in this legitimate government the

328
00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:10,159
best thing to do

329
00:11:07,919 --> 00:11:11,838
is to establish fear because you can

330
00:11:10,159 --> 00:11:13,039
count on fear

331
00:11:11,839 --> 00:11:15,120
machiavelli says it would be very nice

332
00:11:13,039 --> 00:11:16,559
if you could be loved

333
00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:18,078
having being loved by your people by

334
00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:19,679
your subjects is a very handy thing for

335
00:11:18,078 --> 00:11:21,359
ruler and machiavelli says it's not that

336
00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:22,879
love is intrinsically good but rather

337
00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,480
love is handy and practical and if you

338
00:11:22,879 --> 00:11:25,679
people love you they're less likely to

339
00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:27,680
give you a problem so you should

340
00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:28,479
cultivate love

341
00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:31,199
now

342
00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:32,560
love is is a nice thing to have but

343
00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:34,399
fear fear is the kind of thing

344
00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:36,399
machiavelli really understands he likes

345
00:11:34,399 --> 00:11:38,879
fear because fear is one of those things

346
00:11:36,399 --> 00:11:40,720
you can count on and if as machiavelli

347
00:11:38,879 --> 00:11:42,000
points out you are forced to choose

348
00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:43,920
between having the people love you and

349
00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:45,360
having them fear you make sure you have

350
00:11:43,919 --> 00:11:47,360
them fear you

351
00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:49,360
because you can count on fear people's

352
00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:51,680
love you'll never be sure enough about

353
00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:53,278
that but fear you can count on so it's

354
00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:55,120
important to be

355
00:11:53,278 --> 00:11:57,439
feared the next best thing is to be

356
00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:59,120
loved the only thing the prince must

357
00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:01,519
avoid according to machiavelli the

358
00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:03,278
prince cannot afford to be hated when

359
00:12:01,519 --> 00:12:05,120
the people hate you they will come and

360
00:12:03,278 --> 00:12:06,799
get you one way or another they will

361
00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:08,959
depose you and the whole name of this

362
00:12:06,799 --> 00:12:10,799
game is to take power and to control

363
00:12:08,958 --> 00:12:13,359
power and to make it your own and then

364
00:12:10,799 --> 00:12:15,439
to absorb more power

365
00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:17,278
there's a part in which he says well

366
00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:18,800
it's nice if you can inherit a kingdom

367
00:12:17,278 --> 00:12:20,720
from your father if your father has to

368
00:12:18,799 --> 00:12:22,159
be the king but very few of us are lucky

369
00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:23,600
enough to have that circumstance now you

370
00:12:22,159 --> 00:12:25,679
must think back to your head that in

371
00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:27,519
your head that machiavelli's father

372
00:12:25,679 --> 00:12:28,958
was the pope which is very handy

373
00:12:27,519 --> 00:12:30,480
circumstances just the problem is you

374
00:12:28,958 --> 00:12:32,638
you can't get to the papacy by

375
00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:33,839
hereditary succession so we have kind of

376
00:12:32,639 --> 00:12:35,680
a difficulty there yeah they've been

377
00:12:33,839 --> 00:12:36,880
careful about that

378
00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:38,479
well

379
00:12:36,879 --> 00:12:40,240
machiavelli says if you don't have to be

380
00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:42,240
born to the throne if you don't get the

381
00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:44,159
royal purple by matter of birth there's

382
00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:45,759
always usurpation which is a great

383
00:12:44,159 --> 00:12:48,879
favorite activity for him he really

384
00:12:45,759 --> 00:12:50,240
likes usurpation so the idea of getting

385
00:12:48,879 --> 00:12:52,639
close to the throne of gradually

386
00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:54,959
weaseling your way into the court

387
00:12:52,639 --> 00:12:56,480
and telling of course the king or the

388
00:12:54,958 --> 00:12:58,638
prince or the legitimate ruler how much

389
00:12:56,480 --> 00:13:00,639
you admire him and how well you think of

390
00:12:58,639 --> 00:13:02,720
him and how important it is to

391
00:13:00,639 --> 00:13:04,639
constantly be pursuing machiavellian

392
00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:06,079
political policies

393
00:13:04,639 --> 00:13:07,919
the more you'll become important

394
00:13:06,078 --> 00:13:09,199
indispensable the more you could stab

395
00:13:07,919 --> 00:13:11,439
him in the back and take control of the

396
00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:12,800
government yourself

397
00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,480
machiavelli's

398
00:13:12,799 --> 00:13:16,479
moral universe

399
00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:18,240
is the moral universe of the wolf of the

400
00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:19,519
predatory animal

401
00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:21,600
machiavelli

402
00:13:19,519 --> 00:13:22,560
and his political philosophy

403
00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:24,560
has

404
00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:25,919
a horrifying brilliance through it on

405
00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:27,679
account of the fact that it's consistent

406
00:13:25,919 --> 00:13:30,000
with much of what we see in political

407
00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:31,439
life on an everyday basis

408
00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,519
the drawback of this conception of

409
00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:35,920
political philosophy and the contempt

410
00:13:33,519 --> 00:13:38,320
and conception of an amoral universe is

411
00:13:35,919 --> 00:13:40,479
that it makes people

412
00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:41,440
no longer social animals

413
00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:44,000
stop and think about what the

414
00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:46,240
machiavellian wants us to do he wants us

415
00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:48,000
to constantly betray others

416
00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:49,759
both above us in the political structure

417
00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:51,440
and below us in the political structure

418
00:13:49,759 --> 00:13:53,838
in order to satisfy our own lust for

419
00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:55,360
power a lust which is never satisfied

420
00:13:53,839 --> 00:13:57,120
which only grows bigger and bigger as

421
00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:58,240
its objects become bigger and bigger

422
00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:00,078
that's one of the reasons incidentally

423
00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:02,079
where machiavelli likes roman history so

424
00:14:00,078 --> 00:14:03,359
much roman history is full of creatures

425
00:14:02,078 --> 00:14:05,759
like this machiavelli thinks they're

426
00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:09,759
wonderful he thinks that the italy of

427
00:14:05,759 --> 00:14:12,078
the 1500s 16th century italy is feeble

428
00:14:09,759 --> 00:14:13,759
prostrate broken up into fragmented

429
00:14:12,078 --> 00:14:16,000
warring little cliques

430
00:14:13,759 --> 00:14:17,759
that prevent real political glory from

431
00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:19,919
coming into being the reason why he

432
00:14:17,759 --> 00:14:22,879
likes a horrifying figure like caesar

433
00:14:19,919 --> 00:14:27,039
borgia is that caesar borgia

434
00:14:22,879 --> 00:14:29,039
is the man of virtue virtu virtue is

435
00:14:27,039 --> 00:14:31,360
exactly the opposite of platonic virtue

436
00:14:29,039 --> 00:14:33,039
it is much more like thrasamakian virtue

437
00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:34,879
it is the virtue of the man that tells

438
00:14:33,039 --> 00:14:37,360
lies that stabs people in the back that

439
00:14:34,879 --> 00:14:40,559
does whatever it takes to satisfy his

440
00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:42,159
unquenchable desire for power

441
00:14:40,559 --> 00:14:43,759
so what we need is a man of year two and

442
00:14:42,159 --> 00:14:45,519
this book is designed to create veer two

443
00:14:43,759 --> 00:14:48,000
the problem is that this viewer ii is

444
00:14:45,519 --> 00:14:50,879
the virtue of the predatory animal not

445
00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:52,559
of the rational human being or it's the

446
00:14:50,879 --> 00:14:55,439
rational human being insofar as that

447
00:14:52,559 --> 00:14:58,319
rationality is completely

448
00:14:55,440 --> 00:15:00,480
subjugated or subordinate to one's

449
00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:02,480
irrational desires and if you stop and

450
00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:04,000
look back at what the soul of the

451
00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:05,440
tyrannical man was supposed to look like

452
00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,799
in the republic you realize that the

453
00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:08,560
desiring part is really running the

454
00:15:06,799 --> 00:15:10,639
rational part the rational part of the

455
00:15:08,559 --> 00:15:13,518
soul is just an instrument in the hands

456
00:15:10,639 --> 00:15:15,440
of his desire for power or sex or money

457
00:15:13,519 --> 00:15:17,679
or what have you machiavelli takes that

458
00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:19,839
same conception of the soul desire comes

459
00:15:17,679 --> 00:15:21,759
first my desire for power

460
00:15:19,839 --> 00:15:23,920
determines all my other activities and

461
00:15:21,759 --> 00:15:25,439
my rationality is subordinate to that so

462
00:15:23,919 --> 00:15:28,639
machiavelli wants us to have that kind

463
00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:29,839
of veer too the virtue of the leopard

464
00:15:28,639 --> 00:15:32,399
the

465
00:15:29,839 --> 00:15:33,759
the guiltless killing of the hawk

466
00:15:32,399 --> 00:15:35,519
the hawk doesn't feel bad about killing

467
00:15:33,759 --> 00:15:37,039
sparrows that's the way hawks are the

468
00:15:35,519 --> 00:15:39,198
way of nature is the way of cruelty we

469
00:15:37,039 --> 00:15:40,719
must learn to live with that or die with

470
00:15:39,198 --> 00:15:42,559
that if you get if you get your way

471
00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:43,600
through machiavelli

472
00:15:42,559 --> 00:15:44,958
excuse me

473
00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:47,040
now

474
00:15:44,958 --> 00:15:49,518
let's come back to the problem of italy

475
00:15:47,039 --> 00:15:51,439
italy is fragmented italy is broken up

476
00:15:49,519 --> 00:15:54,000
italy is in a historically horrible set

477
00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:56,480
of circumstances and machiavelli is

478
00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:59,039
sounding a clarion call to break through

479
00:15:56,480 --> 00:16:02,800
from old ecclesiastical borrowings old

480
00:15:59,039 --> 00:16:05,759
scriptural conceptions of virtue old

481
00:16:02,799 --> 00:16:07,599
greco-roman conceptions of morality what

482
00:16:05,759 --> 00:16:09,919
machiavelli wants is a good practical

483
00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:11,680
politician that will scheme and lie his

484
00:16:09,919 --> 00:16:13,519
way to the top and once he gets to the

485
00:16:11,679 --> 00:16:15,039
top of a particular italian city-state

486
00:16:13,519 --> 00:16:16,959
he will attack one city-state after

487
00:16:15,039 --> 00:16:19,198
another and unify italy and create

488
00:16:16,958 --> 00:16:22,159
something like a new roman empire there

489
00:16:19,198 --> 00:16:24,639
can be new glory a new this worldly

490
00:16:22,159 --> 00:16:26,480
satisfaction of the potential for human

491
00:16:24,639 --> 00:16:28,240
greatness remember that machiavelli is

492
00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:30,399
completely opposed to all metaphysical

493
00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:32,159
interpretations of the world machiavelli

494
00:16:30,399 --> 00:16:34,159
does not believe in heaven and hell

495
00:16:32,159 --> 00:16:35,519
machiavelli does not believe in god

496
00:16:34,159 --> 00:16:37,278
machiavelli does not believe in the

497
00:16:35,519 --> 00:16:39,198
realm of the forms all machiavelli

498
00:16:37,278 --> 00:16:40,879
believes in is here and now

499
00:16:39,198 --> 00:16:43,278
the main chance how are we going to get

500
00:16:40,879 --> 00:16:45,198
what we want right now and machiavelli's

501
00:16:43,278 --> 00:16:47,198
conception of virtue of the blessed

502
00:16:45,198 --> 00:16:50,000
human condition of the well-organized

503
00:16:47,198 --> 00:16:53,039
human soul and of the practically run

504
00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:56,480
political society all come together in

505
00:16:53,039 --> 00:16:58,159
this figure of the ruthless tyrannical

506
00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:59,839
prince

507
00:16:58,159 --> 00:17:00,799
now this tyrannical prince

508
00:16:59,839 --> 00:17:02,880
will be

509
00:17:00,799 --> 00:17:06,159
as machiavelli says like a lion and a

510
00:17:02,879 --> 00:17:07,919
fox when he's faced with military

511
00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:10,558
dangers or threats that are direct and

512
00:17:07,919 --> 00:17:12,480
obvious he's a lion he can withstand

513
00:17:10,558 --> 00:17:14,160
anyone else's direct coercive force

514
00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:16,078
because he's a military man machiavelli

515
00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,600
likes blood and gore he's a very

516
00:17:16,078 --> 00:17:19,918
military kind of fellow he really likes

517
00:17:17,599 --> 00:17:20,639
military solutions but in addition to

518
00:17:19,919 --> 00:17:22,559
that

519
00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:24,240
being a being a lion is not enough in

520
00:17:22,558 --> 00:17:26,959
addition to that it's also necessary to

521
00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:28,880
be a fox what we mean by being a fox is

522
00:17:26,959 --> 00:17:32,400
that one must be clever

523
00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:34,960
sly cunning deceitful and when you're

524
00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:37,120
powerful and at the same time deceitful

525
00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:38,880
when you can confuse them when you can

526
00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:40,719
confuse your opponents and defeat them

527
00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:42,960
in a practical coercive sense then you

528
00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:44,079
are the man of realver2 this is the kind

529
00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:46,240
of guy that's going to go straight to

530
00:17:44,079 --> 00:17:48,639
the top he's going to climb a pile of

531
00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:50,798
corpses on his way there but then again

532
00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:53,038
he has no moral compunctions about it

533
00:17:50,798 --> 00:17:54,639
there is no god to judge him there is no

534
00:17:53,038 --> 00:17:56,558
metaphysical standard by which to judge

535
00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:59,038
this he either succeeds or he doesn't

536
00:17:56,558 --> 00:18:00,879
it's a sort of nihilistic approach to

537
00:17:59,038 --> 00:18:02,960
politics in which the gratification of

538
00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:04,320
the individual ego is raised the status

539
00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:06,240
of a principle

540
00:18:04,319 --> 00:18:08,480
in some respects this is why the

541
00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:10,960
renaissance and particularly the the

542
00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:12,558
human-centered political science that's

543
00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:14,000
characteristic of the renaissance which

544
00:18:12,558 --> 00:18:16,319
is a big change from that of the middle

545
00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:18,240
ages is such a turning of the corner in

546
00:18:16,319 --> 00:18:20,558
the western political tradition we're

547
00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:22,558
moving away from god-centered politics

548
00:18:20,558 --> 00:18:24,798
toward man-centered politics and

549
00:18:22,558 --> 00:18:26,879
man-centered politics is ugly

550
00:18:24,798 --> 00:18:29,279
man-centered politics is bloody and

551
00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:31,440
man-centered politics serves no ends

552
00:18:29,279 --> 00:18:33,519
but human ends and human desires there

553
00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:34,640
is no

554
00:18:33,519 --> 00:18:36,319
ultimate

555
00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:39,360
summum bonum

556
00:18:36,319 --> 00:18:41,038
no ultimate good that politics gestures

557
00:18:39,359 --> 00:18:43,199
at

558
00:18:41,038 --> 00:18:45,359
machiavelli gives a very fine example of

559
00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:47,279
a of an action which he considers to

560
00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:48,558
have great political wisdom in it i

561
00:18:47,279 --> 00:18:50,480
think you'll like this

562
00:18:48,558 --> 00:18:51,599
there was a ruler

563
00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:52,720
who

564
00:18:51,599 --> 00:18:53,839
attacked and conquered another

565
00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:55,200
city-state

566
00:18:53,839 --> 00:18:58,798
but there's still a great deal of

567
00:18:55,200 --> 00:19:01,600
banditry a good bit of outlawy uh

568
00:18:58,798 --> 00:19:03,359
political chaos in the countryside

569
00:19:01,599 --> 00:19:05,279
so this ruler and machiavelli thinks

570
00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:06,798
this rule is a very wise fellow

571
00:19:05,279 --> 00:19:08,798
he sends his second in command his

572
00:19:06,798 --> 00:19:10,240
lieutenant to that city and he says i

573
00:19:08,798 --> 00:19:11,839
give you complete power of life and

574
00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:14,000
death over all the citizens of that city

575
00:19:11,839 --> 00:19:15,519
because now they're mine

576
00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:17,759
and i want you to go down there and lay

577
00:19:15,519 --> 00:19:20,000
down the law i want you to ruthlessly

578
00:19:17,759 --> 00:19:22,000
exterminate all of my enemies i want you

579
00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:23,519
to to make the decrees i think

580
00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:25,440
appropriate and whatever degrees you

581
00:19:23,519 --> 00:19:27,038
think are appropriate make them all and

582
00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:29,519
lean on these people

583
00:19:27,038 --> 00:19:31,038
go in and coerce them intimidate them

584
00:19:29,519 --> 00:19:32,160
frighten them

585
00:19:31,038 --> 00:19:33,839
until they

586
00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:35,600
concede that

587
00:19:33,839 --> 00:19:37,199
i am the legitimate ruler here and that

588
00:19:35,599 --> 00:19:38,639
you rule in my name and i give you

589
00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:40,880
complete power if any of them complain

590
00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:43,120
about you tell them i've given delegated

591
00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:45,760
my authority to you and if they give you

592
00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:47,599
any more problems beyond that kill them

593
00:19:45,759 --> 00:19:48,960
now that's only half of the story

594
00:19:47,599 --> 00:19:51,119
there's more to it

595
00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:52,640
after doing that the prince lets this

596
00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:55,519
guy do it for a couple of months three

597
00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:57,440
four five months and this very cruel

598
00:19:55,519 --> 00:19:58,798
very bloodthirsty very ruthless second

599
00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:00,720
in command

600
00:19:58,798 --> 00:20:02,000
dominates the people lots of mass

601
00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:03,519
executions

602
00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:05,599
cruel tortures

603
00:20:03,519 --> 00:20:06,960
horrible bloody spectacles which

604
00:20:05,599 --> 00:20:08,000
frighten the people there out of their

605
00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:10,400
wits

606
00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:12,400
now here's a problem this is part of

607
00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:14,000
machiavellianism fear is a good thing

608
00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:16,320
you can count on people's fear and this

609
00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:18,640
guy's made him plenty afraid but we have

610
00:20:16,319 --> 00:20:20,000
a problem here the potential for hatred

611
00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:23,679
certainly if you've killed someone's

612
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:25,038
father mother son daughter husband wife

613
00:20:23,679 --> 00:20:27,519
it's going to be payback time

614
00:20:25,038 --> 00:20:30,158
machiavelli has no conception of

615
00:20:27,519 --> 00:20:32,079
forgiveness no idea that charity ought

616
00:20:30,159 --> 00:20:34,799
to be extended to us sinners he thinks

617
00:20:32,079 --> 00:20:36,639
that's for children and old ladies no

618
00:20:34,798 --> 00:20:38,558
machiavelli says the right way to handle

619
00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:41,679
this is the way the prince in this case

620
00:20:38,558 --> 00:20:43,279
handled it he went to that second city

621
00:20:41,679 --> 00:20:44,480
and he asked the people in that city

622
00:20:43,279 --> 00:20:46,720
what do you think of my new ruler here

623
00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:48,400
is he a nice fellow a real charmer isn't

624
00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,200
he and it turns out

625
00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:50,960
that

626
00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:53,360
the people were

627
00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:54,960
horrified by the terrible cruelties the

628
00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:57,839
tortures and the murders the public

629
00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:59,679
executions that he had imposed on them

630
00:20:57,839 --> 00:21:00,879
so secretly that night

631
00:20:59,679 --> 00:21:03,840
the prince was sitting back there

632
00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:05,760
thinking about this and he orders his

633
00:21:03,839 --> 00:21:07,599
secret police or his private guardsmen

634
00:21:05,759 --> 00:21:08,798
the ones he can really trust whoever

635
00:21:07,599 --> 00:21:10,719
they are

636
00:21:08,798 --> 00:21:12,720
it tells them i want you secretly to go

637
00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:15,200
to the room of my second in command the

638
00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:16,880
man i gave this bloody authority to

639
00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:18,798
and i want you to take him out to the

640
00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:20,240
center of the square of this town and i

641
00:21:18,798 --> 00:21:21,918
want you to cut him in half and leave

642
00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:23,440
him there

643
00:21:21,919 --> 00:21:24,159
next morning the people of the town get

644
00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:26,159
up

645
00:21:24,159 --> 00:21:29,520
and what do they see but a man who is

646
00:21:26,159 --> 00:21:31,280
the object of intense hatred to them

647
00:21:29,519 --> 00:21:33,038
pieces of him all over the center of the

648
00:21:31,279 --> 00:21:35,599
square

649
00:21:33,038 --> 00:21:37,279
and then our prince sets out a decree

650
00:21:35,599 --> 00:21:39,199
that he had heard

651
00:21:37,279 --> 00:21:41,119
through some source which he isn't going

652
00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:43,440
to name that this man had been very

653
00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:45,678
severe and very violent and we can't

654
00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:47,679
have any of that in a well-run state he

655
00:21:45,679 --> 00:21:49,440
had heard that this man had usurped

656
00:21:47,679 --> 00:21:51,120
power that the prince had never given

657
00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,960
him and because the second command had

658
00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:54,959
been so bloody-minded and such an evil

659
00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:56,558
cruel fellow the prince's justice the

660
00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:58,480
prince's mercy and the person's prince's

661
00:21:56,558 --> 00:22:00,240
honesty required that he'd be cut in

662
00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:02,319
half

663
00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:04,400
the art of the double cross you send a

664
00:22:02,319 --> 00:22:06,000
guy out to do the dirty work you cut his

665
00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:07,120
throat you throw them to the wolves you

666
00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:09,279
give them to the people that are left

667
00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:11,038
over and then you clean up the gravy at

668
00:22:09,279 --> 00:22:13,918
the end of it this is machiavelli's

669
00:22:11,038 --> 00:22:16,319
conception of good politics he specifies

670
00:22:13,919 --> 00:22:18,159
that particular example as an example of

671
00:22:16,319 --> 00:22:20,158
a man who really knows his way around

672
00:22:18,159 --> 00:22:22,480
political stuff first you'll first you

673
00:22:20,159 --> 00:22:23,679
conquer people that you have no right to

674
00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:26,000
and then you send somebody out there to

675
00:22:23,679 --> 00:22:28,000
do extremely evil and unpleasant and

676
00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:29,919
violent things to them

677
00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:31,679
and you lie to him and say that

678
00:22:29,919 --> 00:22:32,640
you do it with my blessing

679
00:22:31,679 --> 00:22:33,840
and then you go to the people and you

680
00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:34,880
act like you're blameless so they won't

681
00:22:33,839 --> 00:22:36,319
hate you

682
00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:37,919
and then you kill this guy throw him to

683
00:22:36,319 --> 00:22:39,439
the wolves and the people lap it up and

684
00:22:37,919 --> 00:22:40,799
say what a nice failure i'm glad we got

685
00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,240
a prince like you

686
00:22:40,798 --> 00:22:43,200
much better than the guy we had here we

687
00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:44,558
thought he was acting with your

688
00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:45,919
authority but of course now we see that

689
00:22:44,558 --> 00:22:48,480
he wasn't

690
00:22:45,919 --> 00:22:51,280
that's what the word machiavellian means

691
00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:53,759
two three four levels of meaning

692
00:22:51,279 --> 00:22:56,399
all devoted to the same task

693
00:22:53,759 --> 00:22:58,720
to the organization and acquire

694
00:22:56,400 --> 00:23:00,880
acquisition of political power

695
00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:03,919
by any means necessary

696
00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:07,200
this man is not careful about the means

697
00:23:03,919 --> 00:23:09,440
that he uses to achieve his ends

698
00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:11,360
so machiavelli writes his prince

699
00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:13,360
90 pages in order that a practical

700
00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:15,038
politician can have this around for

701
00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:16,158
inspiration and isn't it inspirational

702
00:23:15,038 --> 00:23:19,200
reading those of you who have looked at

703
00:23:16,159 --> 00:23:21,039
it before will find that like it or not

704
00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:23,159
it is in some respects inspirational

705
00:23:21,038 --> 00:23:26,240
reading simply because of the

706
00:23:23,159 --> 00:23:28,799
single-mindedness the ruthless pursuit

707
00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:30,798
of practical political power as a

708
00:23:28,798 --> 00:23:33,519
handbook for doing that

709
00:23:30,798 --> 00:23:35,519
i think it has never been excelled

710
00:23:33,519 --> 00:23:37,359
the difficulty of course with this is as

711
00:23:35,519 --> 00:23:39,759
i said a little earlier it prevents

712
00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:41,199
human beings from being social animals

713
00:23:39,759 --> 00:23:42,558
stop and think about it for a minute

714
00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:43,679
suppose you're a member of the medici

715
00:23:42,558 --> 00:23:46,639
family

716
00:23:43,679 --> 00:23:48,400
and suppose this guy machiavelli writes

717
00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:50,320
the prince and dedicates it to you and

718
00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:51,759
tells you to beware of flatterers and

719
00:23:50,319 --> 00:23:53,119
beware of people that are trying to get

720
00:23:51,759 --> 00:23:55,359
in good with you because you can never

721
00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:56,879
trust them they may stab you in the back

722
00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:58,719
suppose you were a political ruler and

723
00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:59,840
he wrote it to you would you hire him to

724
00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:01,200
work for you

725
00:23:59,839 --> 00:24:02,879
what would happen if you had him on your

726
00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,558
staff where's where your staff is going

727
00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:06,640
to start disappearing

728
00:24:04,558 --> 00:24:07,918
right unforeseen accidents they're all

729
00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:09,600
going to start as he moves up the ladder

730
00:24:07,919 --> 00:24:11,038
of command

731
00:24:09,599 --> 00:24:12,798
bad things happen to good people all

732
00:24:11,038 --> 00:24:14,558
kinds of stuff could happen here and

733
00:24:12,798 --> 00:24:17,278
then it may well be

734
00:24:14,558 --> 00:24:19,119
that some horrible misfortune may occur

735
00:24:17,278 --> 00:24:20,400
while you're out riding while you happen

736
00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:22,479
to be asleep well you happen to have

737
00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:25,440
your back turned in other words

738
00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:27,919
he is here so he can usurp your position

739
00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:29,519
why oh why if you had any brains at all

740
00:24:27,919 --> 00:24:32,960
would you choose to have him on your

741
00:24:29,519 --> 00:24:35,359
staff there is no man who is less

742
00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:37,038
appropriate to the staff of a politician

743
00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:38,639
than machiavelli and yet in some

744
00:24:37,038 --> 00:24:41,359
respects

745
00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:43,840
there is a lure he does show you a

746
00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:45,918
horrible worldly wisdom

747
00:24:43,839 --> 00:24:47,439
which maybe you want on your own side

748
00:24:45,919 --> 00:24:49,360
rather than on your other rather than on

749
00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:50,320
your opponent's side but if he's on your

750
00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:51,759
side

751
00:24:50,319 --> 00:24:54,000
well i guess he really can't be on your

752
00:24:51,759 --> 00:24:55,679
side i guess he's always on his own side

753
00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:57,440
which is part of the problem machiavelli

754
00:24:55,679 --> 00:24:59,440
is not a team player

755
00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:00,798
if you were a ruler you would never in

756
00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:01,919
your right mind have to keep work for

757
00:25:00,798 --> 00:25:03,918
you

758
00:25:01,919 --> 00:25:05,360
turn it around suppose

759
00:25:03,919 --> 00:25:07,759
a ruler is foolish enough to bring a

760
00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:09,359
machiavellian in the machiavellian kills

761
00:25:07,759 --> 00:25:11,679
him makes it look like someone else did

762
00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:14,000
it he takes over the throne

763
00:25:11,679 --> 00:25:16,320
a person would have to be crazy to work

764
00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:17,038
for machiavelli as opposed to have him

765
00:25:16,319 --> 00:25:18,480
in

766
00:25:17,038 --> 00:25:20,400
in addition to having him work for you

767
00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:22,159
in other words suppose he were to become

768
00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:23,360
the prince of the king what's he going

769
00:25:22,159 --> 00:25:24,720
to do with you when you become his

770
00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:27,278
number two or number three or number

771
00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:29,919
four man you are expendable everyone is

772
00:25:27,278 --> 00:25:32,798
expendable to the machiavellian you have

773
00:25:29,919 --> 00:25:35,038
no intrinsic value except as a vehicle

774
00:25:32,798 --> 00:25:37,359
by which he can satisfy his desires by

775
00:25:35,038 --> 00:25:39,278
which he can gratify his lust for power

776
00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:41,519
so the machiavellian soul is the

777
00:25:39,278 --> 00:25:43,278
tyrannical soul in some respects when

778
00:25:41,519 --> 00:25:45,200
you go back and look at plato's republic

779
00:25:43,278 --> 00:25:46,720
almost all the great themes in western

780
00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:50,000
political philosophy are to be found

781
00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:52,640
there machiavelli is nothing really new

782
00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:54,880
machiavelli is a codification

783
00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:57,919
not quite a systematization but a

784
00:25:54,880 --> 00:26:01,039
handbook for the would-be tyrant he's a

785
00:25:57,919 --> 00:26:02,559
handbook of it's a handbook of sophistry

786
00:26:01,038 --> 00:26:04,558
right because he says one thing it means

787
00:26:02,558 --> 00:26:05,759
another and in fact the meaning of his

788
00:26:04,558 --> 00:26:07,200
statements doesn't matter so long as it

789
00:26:05,759 --> 00:26:09,519
gets the practical result of achieving

790
00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:11,600
political power and it's an entirely

791
00:26:09,519 --> 00:26:12,720
this worldly orientation

792
00:26:11,599 --> 00:26:14,639
if we had to look at the ancient

793
00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:18,480
political tradition

794
00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:20,240
both platonism and christianity

795
00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:22,558
organized the political theory with

796
00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:25,038
reference to the will of some

797
00:26:22,558 --> 00:26:27,200
giant metaphysical law giver in the case

798
00:26:25,038 --> 00:26:29,679
of plato it's the form of the good in

799
00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:30,960
the case of christianity it's god's

800
00:26:29,679 --> 00:26:34,559
omnipotence

801
00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:37,200
but in either case the key issue is

802
00:26:34,558 --> 00:26:38,798
making our behavior and our souls and

803
00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:41,120
our lives consistent with the

804
00:26:38,798 --> 00:26:42,720
obligations imposed by this thing in the

805
00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:45,199
metaphysical realm

806
00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:47,120
once we abolish the metaphysical realm

807
00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:48,880
there is no law or ultimate standard by

808
00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:50,798
which to judge our actions and by which

809
00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:52,240
to judge our good and evil and that

810
00:26:50,798 --> 00:26:54,240
means there's only the satisfaction of

811
00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:55,759
desires down here and this leads

812
00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:57,519
straight to the softest political

813
00:26:55,759 --> 00:26:59,519
position that political power is an end

814
00:26:57,519 --> 00:27:00,798
in itself that the satisfaction of

815
00:26:59,519 --> 00:27:03,278
people's desires has an end in

816
00:27:00,798 --> 00:27:06,240
themselves and the real true state of

817
00:27:03,278 --> 00:27:09,038
human felicity is having profound

818
00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:11,759
vehement extraordinarily

819
00:27:09,038 --> 00:27:13,759
forceful emotions passions and then

820
00:27:11,759 --> 00:27:16,158
satisfying them and the continuous

821
00:27:13,759 --> 00:27:18,798
satisfaction of vehement passions is

822
00:27:16,159 --> 00:27:21,679
what machiavelli and the sophists and

823
00:27:18,798 --> 00:27:23,200
all of this cynical political tradition

824
00:27:21,679 --> 00:27:25,200
cynical not in the literal sense but in

825
00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:27,038
the broad general sense this cynical

826
00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:28,798
political tradition

827
00:27:27,038 --> 00:27:31,119
enjoins us too

828
00:27:28,798 --> 00:27:33,278
so all of you who are would-be rulers

829
00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:35,599
this is the book for you the difficulty

830
00:27:33,278 --> 00:27:36,880
is is that it tells us all

831
00:27:35,599 --> 00:27:38,398
or perhaps not all of us but all of us

832
00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:41,360
who have the nerve

833
00:27:38,398 --> 00:27:43,278
not to succumb to metaphysics

834
00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:46,319
who are willing to break free of the

835
00:27:43,278 --> 00:27:47,200
mold of mere morality it tells us how to

836
00:27:46,319 --> 00:27:49,599
become

837
00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:50,798
chiefs and no longer indians and of

838
00:27:49,599 --> 00:27:52,639
course if we were all to follow that

839
00:27:50,798 --> 00:27:54,798
there'd be all chiefs and no indians but

840
00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:57,038
machiavelli is under no illusions

841
00:27:54,798 --> 00:27:58,639
about everybody having the capacity to

842
00:27:57,038 --> 00:28:01,200
do this it's only the extraordinary

843
00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:03,278
individual like himself or like caesar

844
00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:05,120
borgia or like a handful of the other

845
00:28:03,278 --> 00:28:06,558
great tyrants in history that have

846
00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:07,759
really shown us what human beings are

847
00:28:06,558 --> 00:28:09,278
capable of

848
00:28:07,759 --> 00:28:11,679
in some respect

849
00:28:09,278 --> 00:28:13,839
machiavelli is similar to plato in that

850
00:28:11,679 --> 00:28:16,320
both plato and machiavelli are trying to

851
00:28:13,839 --> 00:28:18,639
show us something buried deep in the

852
00:28:16,319 --> 00:28:19,918
marrow of the human soul at the very

853
00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:22,240
center of it

854
00:28:19,919 --> 00:28:23,679
plato thinks there's an eternal goodness

855
00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:26,798
a final

856
00:28:23,679 --> 00:28:29,038
spark of the divine soul which allows us

857
00:28:26,798 --> 00:28:30,639
to get some access to the mind of god

858
00:28:29,038 --> 00:28:32,879
and to the understanding of ultimate

859
00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:35,440
truth and wisdom

860
00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:36,960
machiavelli believes that at the core of

861
00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:39,440
the human soul

862
00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:41,519
in the marrow of the psyche

863
00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:44,240
there is a beast

864
00:28:41,519 --> 00:28:46,720
an untamed animal which wants only the

865
00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:48,319
satisfaction of its desires

866
00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:50,798
in some respects this is a very

867
00:28:48,319 --> 00:28:52,079
prescient theory because it anticipates

868
00:28:50,798 --> 00:28:54,558
many of the views that will later be

869
00:28:52,079 --> 00:28:58,240
held by sigmund freud

870
00:28:54,558 --> 00:29:00,000
underneath our superego underneath this

871
00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:01,278
veil of civility

872
00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,359
this

873
00:29:01,278 --> 00:29:05,359
veneer of righteousness in fact we are

874
00:29:03,359 --> 00:29:08,959
animals exclusively concerned with the

875
00:29:05,359 --> 00:29:10,959
satisfaction of our physical desires

876
00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:14,880
we are beasts

877
00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:16,079
with a very very thin shell of rational

878
00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:18,240
morality

879
00:29:16,079 --> 00:29:21,038
machiavelli suggests that we should

880
00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:23,679
become on the outside what we are on the

881
00:29:21,038 --> 00:29:25,839
inside except in such cases when it's

882
00:29:23,679 --> 00:29:29,120
inconvenient if it's convenient to look

883
00:29:25,839 --> 00:29:30,480
pious gentle kind and good well that's

884
00:29:29,119 --> 00:29:32,479
just fine the important thing is not to

885
00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:35,200
be gentle kind and good the important

886
00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:38,000
thing is to be ruthless and rapacious

887
00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:38,000
and treacherous

888
00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:41,679
if you are familiar with the play king

889
00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:43,759
lear

890
00:29:41,679 --> 00:29:45,519
the edmond and edgar characters

891
00:29:43,759 --> 00:29:47,038
particularly the uh the bastard son i

892
00:29:45,519 --> 00:29:48,398
think it's edmund

893
00:29:47,038 --> 00:29:50,640
gives a wonderful speech in which he

894
00:29:48,398 --> 00:29:54,479
talks about legitimacy in which he talks

895
00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:57,120
about the order of political right and

896
00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:58,558
the circumstances of inheritance and

897
00:29:57,119 --> 00:29:59,759
social status

898
00:29:58,558 --> 00:30:01,038
and

899
00:29:59,759 --> 00:30:03,599
when he says in the beginning of that

900
00:30:01,038 --> 00:30:06,079
soliloquy thou nature art my goddess and

901
00:30:03,599 --> 00:30:08,000
to thy law my services are bound

902
00:30:06,079 --> 00:30:09,199
that prayer was about the only prayer

903
00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:12,000
that machiavelli could say with a

904
00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:13,759
straight face nature red and fang and

905
00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:15,759
claw is

906
00:30:13,759 --> 00:30:17,440
the goddess to whom his services are

907
00:30:15,759 --> 00:30:20,480
bound

908
00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:23,278
nature which is

909
00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:25,038
the fundamental reality we are human

910
00:30:23,278 --> 00:30:26,319
physical things that's remember where

911
00:30:25,038 --> 00:30:28,158
that's where the word nature comes from

912
00:30:26,319 --> 00:30:31,038
from the greek word phusis

913
00:30:28,159 --> 00:30:33,440
right so we are physical beings we are

914
00:30:31,038 --> 00:30:35,519
not spirits in a material world we are

915
00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:37,120
rapacious bits of meat that do whatever

916
00:30:35,519 --> 00:30:39,759
we can to take advantage of each other

917
00:30:37,119 --> 00:30:41,759
except when we're deluding ourselves

918
00:30:39,759 --> 00:30:44,240
with things like morals religion

919
00:30:41,759 --> 00:30:45,599
kindness gentleness milk of human virtue

920
00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:47,759
that sort of thing but apart from

921
00:30:45,599 --> 00:30:50,639
delusions like that and silly poetry

922
00:30:47,759 --> 00:30:52,000
appropriate for the feeble the weak the

923
00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:54,240
christians

924
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,119
in life there's only

925
00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:56,079
blood

926
00:30:55,119 --> 00:30:57,199
gore

927
00:30:56,079 --> 00:30:59,519
power

928
00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:01,038
the intoxication of not only surviving

929
00:30:59,519 --> 00:31:02,720
but conquering

930
00:31:01,038 --> 00:31:05,679
we might say that machiavelli's

931
00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:08,079
conception of virtue harks back not to

932
00:31:05,679 --> 00:31:09,759
the socratic conception of virtue but to

933
00:31:08,079 --> 00:31:11,918
the conception of virtue characteristic

934
00:31:09,759 --> 00:31:13,919
of homer in the iliad in the odyssey

935
00:31:11,919 --> 00:31:15,440
it's the lying treacherous virtue of

936
00:31:13,919 --> 00:31:18,240
odysseus

937
00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:19,360
it's the powerful lion-like virtues of

938
00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:22,079
achilles

939
00:31:19,359 --> 00:31:25,119
if you are a good warrior able to coerce

940
00:31:22,079 --> 00:31:26,000
other people able to impose your will

941
00:31:25,119 --> 00:31:27,918
on

942
00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:29,440
a universe that is both indifferent to

943
00:31:27,919 --> 00:31:32,480
you and indifferent to

944
00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:34,240
any moral structure you might create

945
00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:37,120
then and only then are you a man worth

946
00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:40,240
taking seriously he enjoins us to create

947
00:31:37,119 --> 00:31:43,599
to go back to the earlier pre-socratic

948
00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:47,038
pre-christian virtues we hear the drums

949
00:31:43,599 --> 00:31:49,599
of a primitive heroism in this book it

950
00:31:47,038 --> 00:31:51,359
is a blast from the past and at the same

951
00:31:49,599 --> 00:31:53,038
time it is one of the most modern of

952
00:31:51,359 --> 00:31:55,038
political works

953
00:31:53,038 --> 00:31:56,879
if we take for granted and i think it a

954
00:31:55,038 --> 00:31:59,359
fair assumption that at this point in

955
00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:01,278
time we live in a secular age we live in

956
00:31:59,359 --> 00:32:03,678
an age which is contemptuous of

957
00:32:01,278 --> 00:32:06,000
metaphysics which is contemptuous of

958
00:32:03,679 --> 00:32:08,240
references to abstract morality then in

959
00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:09,359
some respects we live in a machiavellian

960
00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:12,558
universe

961
00:32:09,359 --> 00:32:14,879
even if we have some sort of ativistic

962
00:32:12,558 --> 00:32:16,480
connection back to an earlier morality

963
00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:18,159
that meant something more than personal

964
00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:20,319
self-gratification

965
00:32:18,159 --> 00:32:22,640
in that respect machiavelli is a very

966
00:32:20,319 --> 00:32:24,398
modern political thinker he is the first

967
00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:26,240
political thinker to break from that

968
00:32:24,398 --> 00:32:28,959
metaphysical tradition towards a

969
00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:31,839
completely physical tradition to move

970
00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:33,278
from a sacred politics to a profane

971
00:32:31,839 --> 00:32:35,439
politics

972
00:32:33,278 --> 00:32:36,720
or you might say that he undoes the

973
00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:39,840
distinction between the sacred and

974
00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:41,360
profane by abolishing the sacred so the

975
00:32:39,839 --> 00:32:44,158
world around us is neither sacred nor

976
00:32:41,359 --> 00:32:46,240
profane it just is what it is

977
00:32:44,159 --> 00:32:47,760
and you are what you are and what you

978
00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:49,919
are in fact

979
00:32:47,759 --> 00:32:52,319
is a wolf guarding the sheep if you

980
00:32:49,919 --> 00:32:54,320
remember the analogy that thrasymachus

981
00:32:52,319 --> 00:32:56,720
makes in the first book of the republic

982
00:32:54,319 --> 00:32:58,398
that the ruler relates to the citizens

983
00:32:56,720 --> 00:33:00,159
that he that are his subjects the way a

984
00:32:58,398 --> 00:33:02,319
shepherd relates to a sheep or to a

985
00:33:00,159 --> 00:33:04,080
flock of sheep he keeps them there not

986
00:33:02,319 --> 00:33:06,000
because he likes the sheep not because

987
00:33:04,079 --> 00:33:07,918
he has any moral obligation to the sheep

988
00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:10,000
but because he likes pork he likes lamb

989
00:33:07,919 --> 00:33:12,559
chops he likes to turn these things into

990
00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:14,480
his sustenance well other people the

991
00:33:12,558 --> 00:33:16,960
subjects in the machiavellian state will

992
00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:19,440
exist only in order to satisfy the

993
00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:21,919
physical carnal carnals are well chosen

994
00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:24,798
where they're carnal desires of the

995
00:33:21,919 --> 00:33:26,640
machiavellian prince achilles might have

996
00:33:24,798 --> 00:33:28,319
liked machiavelli if he had understood

997
00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:29,679
what was being said

998
00:33:28,319 --> 00:33:31,359
odysseus i think certainly would have

999
00:33:29,679 --> 00:33:33,840
liked machiavelli because he brings

1000
00:33:31,359 --> 00:33:35,199
together both the lion and the fox i

1001
00:33:33,839 --> 00:33:37,119
would say not so much achilles because

1002
00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:39,278
achilles is a little on the dumb side

1003
00:33:37,119 --> 00:33:41,759
but odysseus as the perfect

1004
00:33:39,278 --> 00:33:43,599
machiavellian hero brings together the

1005
00:33:41,759 --> 00:33:45,679
willingness to lie the willingness to

1006
00:33:43,599 --> 00:33:47,119
violate oaths the willingness to break

1007
00:33:45,679 --> 00:33:50,559
whatever social conventions are around

1008
00:33:47,119 --> 00:33:50,558
you in order to achieve your ends

1009
00:33:50,839 --> 00:33:58,398
the centered focused fierce desire to

1010
00:33:55,278 --> 00:34:00,480
satisfy your innermost longings in some

1011
00:33:58,398 --> 00:34:02,319
respects machiavelli is what people

1012
00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:04,960
would be like in the freudian sense if

1013
00:34:02,319 --> 00:34:06,558
you took away the superego altogether or

1014
00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:08,800
if you only kept the superego the

1015
00:34:06,558 --> 00:34:11,279
conception of righteousness of moral

1016
00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:12,480
virtue as a veneer to protect you from

1017
00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:14,320
other people's

1018
00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:16,398
condemnation

1019
00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:19,359
but what we are down deep

1020
00:34:16,398 --> 00:34:21,519
is a mass of desires that we neither

1021
00:34:19,358 --> 00:34:24,000
choose nor control

1022
00:34:21,519 --> 00:34:26,000
and human felicity simply exists in the

1023
00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:28,398
satisfaction of these desires

1024
00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:29,760
oxen are happy when you give them straw

1025
00:34:28,398 --> 00:34:31,679
machiavelli is happy when you give them

1026
00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:32,639
a government fundamentally there is no

1027
00:34:31,679 --> 00:34:34,720
difference

1028
00:34:32,639 --> 00:34:36,320
each animal gravitates towards its own

1029
00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:37,838
appropriate object

1030
00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:40,159
machiavelli

1031
00:34:37,838 --> 00:34:41,679
in that respect is the is an ancient

1032
00:34:40,159 --> 00:34:43,440
political theorist at the same same time

1033
00:34:41,679 --> 00:34:45,519
a modern political theorist

1034
00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:49,200
he represents nothing new in politics

1035
00:34:45,519 --> 00:34:51,039
but rather an ever-present temptation

1036
00:34:49,199 --> 00:34:53,358
it is always tempting

1037
00:34:51,039 --> 00:34:55,599
for human beings to take the easy way

1038
00:34:53,358 --> 00:34:57,920
out and decide that they're going to be

1039
00:34:55,599 --> 00:34:59,119
meat that they're going to give up

1040
00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:01,680
the attempt

1041
00:34:59,119 --> 00:35:04,000
to kindle the divine spark which is what

1042
00:35:01,679 --> 00:35:06,879
marcus aurelius called the soul

1043
00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:09,199
called the disposition to moral virtue

1044
00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:11,920
machiavelli doesn't want to climb

1045
00:35:09,199 --> 00:35:14,399
what plato called the ladder of

1046
00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:18,000
beauty in the symposium

1047
00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:19,280
because he finds the world ugly

1048
00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:20,719
violent

1049
00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:22,320
and evil

1050
00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:24,000
and he likes it

1051
00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:26,960
so in other words not only does he know

1052
00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:28,838
that he's in the cave but he thinks that

1053
00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:32,240
any attempt to move out of the

1054
00:35:28,838 --> 00:35:34,078
cave is a kind of letting down of nature

1055
00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:35,039
it's an attempt to move away from nature

1056
00:35:34,079 --> 00:35:37,839
towards

1057
00:35:35,039 --> 00:35:40,559
some sort of shemerical poetic i know

1058
00:35:37,838 --> 00:35:43,199
not what and machiavelli is the saint is

1059
00:35:40,559 --> 00:35:45,679
a patron saint of all politicians who

1060
00:35:43,199 --> 00:35:47,279
would be exclusively and immorally

1061
00:35:45,679 --> 00:35:48,480
practical

1062
00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:51,280
one of the great

1063
00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:53,039
difficulties in evaluating machiavelli

1064
00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:54,640
is to give him his due in other words to

1065
00:35:53,039 --> 00:35:56,159
be intellectually fair fair to him

1066
00:35:54,639 --> 00:35:58,078
because he is a great genius there's no

1067
00:35:56,159 --> 00:35:59,358
way that we can honestly take that away

1068
00:35:58,079 --> 00:36:02,800
from him

1069
00:35:59,358 --> 00:36:05,279
but it's also a mistake to say that

1070
00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:08,240
while he's a great genius

1071
00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:09,280
we can in practice use this as a guide

1072
00:36:08,239 --> 00:36:10,959
to life

1073
00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:13,839
if people were to take this seriously

1074
00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:15,358
and although god help us some of us do

1075
00:36:13,838 --> 00:36:16,639
it would be a disaster for the social

1076
00:36:15,358 --> 00:36:17,759
structure and it would be disaster for

1077
00:36:16,639 --> 00:36:19,279
politics

1078
00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:21,440
the difficulty is is that we seem to

1079
00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:23,359
vacillate between one and the other when

1080
00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:25,679
the better angels of our natures take

1081
00:36:23,358 --> 00:36:27,920
over we can see how marcus aurelius is a

1082
00:36:25,679 --> 00:36:30,319
fine politician and how plato offers us

1083
00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:32,320
something real solid substantial in

1084
00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:34,240
organizing our emotions organizing our

1085
00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:35,920
lives organizing our standards of

1086
00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:38,479
judgment the problem is that we tend to

1087
00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:40,800
vacillate back and forth every once in a

1088
00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:42,079
while when we think nobody's looking we

1089
00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:44,800
have a sneaking suspicion that

1090
00:36:42,079 --> 00:36:46,880
machiavelli may be right

1091
00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:48,720
let him who is out who is without sin

1092
00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:50,800
cast the first stone i think every one

1093
00:36:48,719 --> 00:36:52,879
of us has done stuff that we knew was

1094
00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:54,800
wrong at one time or another machiavelli

1095
00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:56,480
is saying i wish to liberate you from

1096
00:36:54,800 --> 00:36:58,480
the guilt of thinking that that is a

1097
00:36:56,480 --> 00:37:00,320
mistake your mistake is in not doing

1098
00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:02,559
that all the time

1099
00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:04,480
do not succumb to the temptation

1100
00:37:02,559 --> 00:37:06,639
to be an angel you have no chance of

1101
00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:08,800
doing that you are meat

1102
00:37:06,639 --> 00:37:10,480
you are meet with a rational soul but

1103
00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:12,000
your rational soul is nothing that glows

1104
00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:13,679
in the dark it's nothing metaphysical

1105
00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:15,199
it's just the rational part of you that

1106
00:37:13,679 --> 00:37:17,519
allows you to decide

1107
00:37:15,199 --> 00:37:19,838
how to best satisfy your irrationally

1108
00:37:17,519 --> 00:37:21,920
developed desires

1109
00:37:19,838 --> 00:37:23,279
so machiavelli is a kind of standing

1110
00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:25,280
temptation

1111
00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:27,280
he is a great political genius and we

1112
00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:29,040
must give the devil his due almost

1113
00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:30,800
literally speaking

1114
00:37:29,039 --> 00:37:32,639
but at the same time we have to

1115
00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:34,400
understand the limitations of this

1116
00:37:32,639 --> 00:37:35,759
limitation number one is it prevents us

1117
00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:37,280
from being what we really are which is

1118
00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:39,040
social animals

1119
00:37:37,280 --> 00:37:40,400
a machiavellian would be unfit and

1120
00:37:39,039 --> 00:37:42,079
subordinate and would be unfit as a

1121
00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:43,680
superior nobody in his right mind would

1122
00:37:42,079 --> 00:37:45,920
work for machiavelli or have machiavelli

1123
00:37:43,679 --> 00:37:48,159
work form

1124
00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:51,358
number two

1125
00:37:48,159 --> 00:37:53,358
it is a denigration in some respects of

1126
00:37:51,358 --> 00:37:56,239
human nature

1127
00:37:53,358 --> 00:37:59,279
it is a cynical analysis of what people

1128
00:37:56,239 --> 00:38:01,598
have done in worst case circumstances

1129
00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:02,880
it is almost an entirely hopeless

1130
00:38:01,599 --> 00:38:04,720
philosophy

1131
00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:07,119
by rejecting the christian virtues of

1132
00:38:04,719 --> 00:38:08,480
faith hope and charity well

1133
00:38:07,119 --> 00:38:10,000
i suppose we might get by without

1134
00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:12,240
charity i suppose in this case we might

1135
00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:13,760
get by without faith but the problem

1136
00:38:12,239 --> 00:38:15,439
with this philosophy that i think even

1137
00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:16,960
bothers those who

1138
00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:19,440
acknowledge its brilliance is that it is

1139
00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:21,199
entirely hopeless philosophy what can we

1140
00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:22,400
expect from the next government the same

1141
00:38:21,199 --> 00:38:24,159
thing we can expect from this government

1142
00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:25,920
which is that it will be rapacious that

1143
00:38:24,159 --> 00:38:27,920
it will be treacherous that it will be

1144
00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:30,079
evil and that it will be

1145
00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:31,440
powerful and that it will dominate us

1146
00:38:30,079 --> 00:38:33,680
the only way out of that merry-go-round

1147
00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:38,240
is to dominate everyone else

1148
00:38:33,679 --> 00:38:40,078
nature red in fang and claw enjoins us

1149
00:38:38,239 --> 00:38:41,759
to make a meal of our own

1150
00:38:40,079 --> 00:38:43,039
and joins us to become the wolf among

1151
00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:44,480
the sheep

1152
00:38:43,039 --> 00:38:46,400
and if we have

1153
00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:48,000
both the inclination and the

1154
00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:49,119
unwillingness to philosophize in the

1155
00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:52,239
platonic

1156
00:38:49,119 --> 00:38:53,680
sense then it seems to me that the only

1157
00:38:52,239 --> 00:38:55,519
logical conclusion is the one that

1158
00:38:53,679 --> 00:38:58,639
machiavelli draws

1159
00:38:55,519 --> 00:39:00,719
so if you wish to go for the strictly

1160
00:38:58,639 --> 00:39:02,559
physical strictly anti-metaphysical

1161
00:39:00,719 --> 00:39:05,199
politics we're going to have a hard time

1162
00:39:02,559 --> 00:39:06,880
connecting politics and ethics

1163
00:39:05,199 --> 00:39:09,039
one of the great achievements of plato's

1164
00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:11,440
republic is that politics turns out to

1165
00:39:09,039 --> 00:39:13,519
be ethics writ large that what is good

1166
00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:14,960
for the soul of the individual man the

1167
00:39:13,519 --> 00:39:17,679
organization of the reasoning the

1168
00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:19,440
spirited and the desiring parts it also

1169
00:39:17,679 --> 00:39:22,078
turns out to be isomorphically good for

1170
00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:24,480
the society because we will organize the

1171
00:39:22,079 --> 00:39:26,160
rulers the rational folks at the top of

1172
00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:27,838
society who will have the guardians

1173
00:39:26,159 --> 00:39:28,960
their auxiliaries the spirited part and

1174
00:39:27,838 --> 00:39:30,639
we'll have the bronze people at the

1175
00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:32,960
bottom getting as many of their desires

1176
00:39:30,639 --> 00:39:34,799
satisfied as possible for plato there's

1177
00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:36,079
a one-to-one connection between politics

1178
00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:37,200
and ethics

1179
00:39:36,079 --> 00:39:39,200
that will be true of all the

1180
00:39:37,199 --> 00:39:40,960
metaphysical thinkers also be true of

1181
00:39:39,199 --> 00:39:42,719
the christians

1182
00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:45,358
on the other hand

1183
00:39:42,719 --> 00:39:47,439
if one wishes to adopt the single world

1184
00:39:45,358 --> 00:39:49,759
entirely physicalistic interpretation of

1185
00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:52,720
human life and of ontology and of

1186
00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:54,960
politics of necessity there will be a

1187
00:39:52,719 --> 00:39:56,319
disjunction between politics and ethics

1188
00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:59,199
we will hear this again when we deal

1189
00:39:56,320 --> 00:40:00,720
with david hume's theory of justice

1190
00:39:59,199 --> 00:40:02,799
so if you wish

1191
00:40:00,719 --> 00:40:05,118
politics to be moral

1192
00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:08,318
if you complain that politicians take

1193
00:40:05,119 --> 00:40:11,119
too many bribes and cut too many corners

1194
00:40:08,318 --> 00:40:13,279
and are unwilling to do what they ought

1195
00:40:11,119 --> 00:40:15,280
to do and meet their moral obligations

1196
00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:17,280
you are implicitly making an argument

1197
00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:19,280
which is founded on some sort of

1198
00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:20,319
metaphysical conception no matter how in

1199
00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:22,240
koat

1200
00:40:20,318 --> 00:40:24,480
you might as well fess up to it now

1201
00:40:22,239 --> 00:40:26,318
you're all metaphysical believers

1202
00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:28,719
if you don't wish to be a metaphysical

1203
00:40:26,318 --> 00:40:30,159
believer that's another possibility be

1204
00:40:28,719 --> 00:40:33,039
careful you don't move down the slippery

1205
00:40:30,159 --> 00:40:34,799
slope to machiavellianism because we

1206
00:40:33,039 --> 00:40:36,880
move from the state of society to the

1207
00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:39,599
state of nature and the nature that

1208
00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:41,358
machiavelli has destined for us will be

1209
00:40:39,599 --> 00:40:43,280
worse than any hell because it will be

1210
00:40:41,358 --> 00:40:45,039
immediate and tangible and there's no

1211
00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:47,760
way around it it's a necessary element

1212
00:40:45,039 --> 00:40:49,838
in the human condition

1213
00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:53,440
machiavelli offers us

1214
00:40:49,838 --> 00:40:56,239
a secular substitute for salvation

1215
00:40:53,440 --> 00:40:58,800
machiavelli offers us a chance

1216
00:40:56,239 --> 00:41:00,399
for this worldly gratification

1217
00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:03,920
and since there's no other world for us

1218
00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:06,880
to go to no final judgment of god no

1219
00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:09,599
ultimate moral order this is the best

1220
00:41:06,880 --> 00:41:12,480
that the human species can attain

1221
00:41:09,599 --> 00:41:15,119
the homeric virtues the military virtues

1222
00:41:12,480 --> 00:41:17,280
the treacherous political virtues

1223
00:41:15,119 --> 00:41:18,960
those elements of

1224
00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:20,400
roman history which are the most

1225
00:41:18,960 --> 00:41:22,880
disgraceful

1226
00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:25,039
and the most appalling machiavelli

1227
00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:27,280
wishes to raises those to the status of

1228
00:41:25,039 --> 00:41:28,800
universal human

1229
00:41:27,280 --> 00:41:31,680
felicity

1230
00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:35,119
and unusual well perhaps not an unusual

1231
00:41:31,679 --> 00:41:38,078
unnecessary but lamentable temptation

1232
00:41:35,119 --> 00:41:40,720
and insofar as we wish to avoid that

1233
00:41:38,079 --> 00:41:41,760
we must go back and think about the idea

1234
00:41:40,719 --> 00:41:44,078
of

1235
00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:45,599
politics and ethics

1236
00:41:44,079 --> 00:41:48,400
the implications that it holds for

1237
00:41:45,599 --> 00:41:50,559
ontology because it implies metaphysics

1238
00:41:48,400 --> 00:41:52,720
the implications that metaphysics have

1239
00:41:50,559 --> 00:41:54,159
for our conception of the rest of

1240
00:41:52,719 --> 00:41:57,118
philosophy and the way in which

1241
00:41:54,159 --> 00:41:58,559
knowledge holds ethics virtue

1242
00:41:57,119 --> 00:41:59,599
and

1243
00:41:58,559 --> 00:42:02,000
human

1244
00:41:59,599 --> 00:42:04,240
experience together the way it connects

1245
00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:06,239
our conception of the individual soul

1246
00:42:04,239 --> 00:42:07,358
and political

1247
00:42:06,239 --> 00:42:09,118
order

1248
00:42:07,358 --> 00:42:10,880
and the way

1249
00:42:09,119 --> 00:42:13,599
in which our own lives would be

1250
00:42:10,880 --> 00:42:16,400
influenced by a decision to either

1251
00:42:13,599 --> 00:42:18,559
succumb to the lure of this world

1252
00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:21,760
or to take the chance

1253
00:42:18,559 --> 00:42:24,318
that another better one awaits us

1254
00:42:21,760 --> 00:42:26,560
it is not a decidable proposition

1255
00:42:24,318 --> 00:42:28,400
machiavelli wishes to offer us one

1256
00:42:26,559 --> 00:42:31,838
possible solution to the set of

1257
00:42:28,400 --> 00:42:31,838
intellectual difficulties

1258
00:42:49,358 --> 00:42:51,440
you