WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.569 [Music] 00:00:05.359 --> 00:00:08.960 machiavelli's the prince is one of the 00:00:07.359 --> 00:00:11.679 most important turning points in the 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:12.960 history of western political philosophy 00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:14.480 it was written 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:16.920 while machiavelli himself was in 00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:18.880 retirement from active political life 00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:20.480 1532 00:00:18.879 --> 00:00:23.198 and prior to that he had worked for the 00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:25.439 medici family in florence 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:26.720 and he was one of the great dark 00:00:25.439 --> 00:00:28.800 characters 00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:29.839 in the history of western thought in 00:00:28.800 --> 00:00:32.000 some respects he's kind of like the 00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:34.479 darth vader of philosophy he represents 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:36.238 all that is evil and unholy 00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:38.959 in some respect the spiritual antipode 00:00:36.238 --> 00:00:41.519 of someone like marcus aurelius 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:43.359 machiavelli is a very secular this 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:45.359 worldly sort of thinker 00:00:43.359 --> 00:00:47.119 he's the kind of person that plato 00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:49.600 warned us about 00:00:47.119 --> 00:00:52.238 the kind of man who self-consciously 00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:55.120 seeks only the gratification 00:00:52.238 --> 00:00:56.479 of his desire for political power 00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:59.599 a man who 00:00:56.479 --> 00:01:01.599 turns ruthlessness and treachery into 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:02.879 matters of principle 00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:04.558 and that's what makes him so good at 00:01:02.878 --> 00:01:06.719 them it doesn't it's not that he's 00:01:04.558 --> 00:01:08.798 treacherous or lying or faithless or 00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:10.239 ruthless once in a while he's that way 00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:12.400 all the time 00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:14.879 he's turned it into a system 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:17.840 in that respect 00:01:14.879 --> 00:01:19.359 the writings of machiavelli which are 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:21.280 not limited to the prince he also wrote 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:23.118 a number of historical works a work 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:24.879 called the discourse on livy he studied 00:01:23.118 --> 00:01:27.200 roman history a great deal 00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:29.920 machiavelli's works our kind of handbook 00:01:27.200 --> 00:01:32.320 on how to be bad particularly 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:34.320 how to be politically treacherous 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:36.639 how to gain power 00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:38.319 for machiavelli the ultimate good for 00:01:36.640 --> 00:01:40.560 human beings is the attainment of 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:43.199 political power and he is not choosy 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:44.000 about the means whatever works works he 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:47.118 is 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:48.560 among the most practical of men 00:01:47.118 --> 00:01:50.959 his idea of an of an excellent 00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:53.519 politician is someone like caesar borgia 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:55.118 caesar boys mentioned many times in the 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:56.718 prince and if you know what caesar 00:01:55.118 --> 00:01:58.159 voyager was like he has quite an 00:01:56.718 --> 00:02:01.359 interesting career 00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:03.280 his father is pope alexander vi 00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:04.959 we won't discuss how that could be the 00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:06.960 case of course but he's the illegitimate 00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:08.959 son of alexander vi 00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:10.719 his sister is lucrezia borgia a most 00:02:08.959 --> 00:02:12.959 unpleasant woman who spends a good bit 00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:14.479 of her time poisoning their friends and 00:02:12.959 --> 00:02:17.439 political rivals 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:19.679 and uh caesar borgia 00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:22.000 was the sort of guy who wouldn't let 00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:25.599 mere family ties get in the way of 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:28.560 political power his older brother was 00:02:25.598 --> 00:02:31.359 the one who was destined or 00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:33.360 chosen by the father alexander vi to get 00:02:31.360 --> 00:02:35.840 most political performance and 00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:37.680 seize a boy who didn't like that so he 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:39.519 killed his older brother conspired 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:41.200 against him and killed him machiavelli 00:02:39.519 --> 00:02:42.959 thinks that's wonderful machiavelli says 00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:45.039 that warms his heart makes him feel 00:02:42.959 --> 00:02:47.039 that's finally somebody sees through 00:02:45.039 --> 00:02:49.679 the lies and the illusions and the 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:51.759 pretensions of conventional morality for 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:53.920 machiavelli we live in the jungle we 00:02:51.759 --> 00:02:56.000 live in a totally amoral universe 00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:57.679 independent of scripture independent of 00:02:56.000 --> 00:03:00.239 revealed religion independent of the 00:02:57.680 --> 00:03:02.000 will of god there's only the will of man 00:03:00.239 --> 00:03:03.759 in that respect machiavelli is a 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:05.598 path-breaking political philosophy no 00:03:03.759 --> 00:03:07.120 matter how evil or pernicious his 00:03:05.598 --> 00:03:09.598 teachings 00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:10.878 we ignore him at our peril 00:03:09.598 --> 00:03:12.799 and 00:03:10.878 --> 00:03:14.799 like it or not there is a dark and 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:16.080 sparkling brilliance to this like black 00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:18.000 diamonds 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:20.640 you look at it and you realize that 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:22.719 however horrifying his conclusions 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:23.598 there's a certain grim truth in what he 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:25.919 says 00:03:23.598 --> 00:03:28.798 and we may not accept the entirety of it 00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:30.839 but like it or not the world of politics 00:03:28.799 --> 00:03:33.680 isn't ugly 00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:34.959 profane immoral place at least to a 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:36.640 great extent 00:03:34.959 --> 00:03:39.280 and those of us who wish to be practical 00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:41.518 politicians will find it very hard to 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:44.080 keep our hands completely clean 00:03:41.519 --> 00:03:45.120 machiavelli wishes to liberate us 00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:48.239 from 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:49.680 what he views as being childish insipid 00:03:48.239 --> 00:03:51.200 guilt feelings 00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:54.000 about 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:55.679 political morality there are no rules in 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:57.759 politics in the same way and for the 00:03:55.680 --> 00:03:59.599 same reason there are no rules in nature 00:03:57.759 --> 00:04:01.120 with machiavelli we have one of the 00:03:59.598 --> 00:04:02.959 great restatements 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:04.400 of a political theme introduced in 00:04:02.959 --> 00:04:05.680 western political thought in the first 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:07.039 book of the republic 00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:09.438 if you stretch your memory back to 00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:11.280 professor rakuti's lectures last 00:04:09.438 --> 00:04:12.639 time when he talked about the republic 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:14.560 in the first book of the republic 00:04:12.639 --> 00:04:16.238 socrates primary antagonist is a man 00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:18.720 named thrasymachus 00:04:16.238 --> 00:04:20.959 he's a sophist anthrosimicus holds the 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:23.040 view that justice is the advantage of 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:24.879 the stronger in other words whoever it 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:27.199 is that has the most force the most 00:04:24.879 --> 00:04:29.279 military power makes the rules and 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:31.199 justice is whatever they tell you to do 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:33.599 so when the nazis win whatever they tell 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:35.280 you to do is just if the stalinists win 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:37.199 whatever they tell you is just if 00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:38.319 machiavelli wins or the borgias win 00:04:37.199 --> 00:04:40.000 doesn't matter as long as they have the 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:41.360 power to coerce you whatever they tell 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:43.279 you is just 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:44.720 so simica's view then 00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:48.478 is that 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:52.400 justice is a simple matter of coercion 00:04:48.478 --> 00:04:52.399 and there is no moral order to the world 00:04:52.560 --> 00:04:56.879 now this view is 00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:58.879 thoroughly criticized 00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:01.199 and at least apparently refuted in the 00:04:58.879 --> 00:05:02.079 first book of the republic 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:05.038 but 00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:07.839 like all profound ideas resonance of it 00:05:05.038 --> 00:05:10.159 is always at least implicitly in the 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:13.359 western political tradition 00:05:10.160 --> 00:05:16.400 and machiavelli regains 00:05:13.360 --> 00:05:17.680 the nerve to say there is no moral order 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:20.000 to the world 00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:21.439 he's the first man to reassert what 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:24.079 thracemica said in the first book of the 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:26.560 republic that we live peculiarly and 00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:28.879 exclusively here in the realm of nature 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:30.959 that there is no metaphysical realm by 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:33.759 which to judge the good and evil of 00:05:30.959 --> 00:05:35.038 human actions there's only power force 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:36.800 brutality 00:05:35.038 --> 00:05:39.599 you adjust to it or you succumb to it 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:41.038 those are your choices 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:43.680 machiavelli wants to teach us how to 00:05:41.038 --> 00:05:44.800 become tyrannical men and if you stop 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:46.639 and think about the first book of the 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:48.319 republic i believe you will recognize 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:50.400 that thrasymachus has the tyrannical 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:52.719 soul the soul is driven entirely by 00:05:50.399 --> 00:05:54.319 passion that thinks reason is something 00:05:52.720 --> 00:05:56.160 is an afterthought for the feeble who 00:05:54.319 --> 00:05:58.399 want to make up stories about why we 00:05:56.160 --> 00:06:01.039 ought to be good rather than evil 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:02.959 machiavelli and thrasymachus both wish 00:06:01.038 --> 00:06:05.199 to liberate us from metaphysics and 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:06.478 morality 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:08.478 both of them say 00:06:06.478 --> 00:06:10.800 in this world of 00:06:08.478 --> 00:06:12.959 darkness flux 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:15.120 double crossing and backstabbing 00:06:12.959 --> 00:06:16.879 the only way to get ahead the only way 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:18.840 to achieve human felicity human 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:21.120 happiness human 00:06:18.839 --> 00:06:23.359 goodness is to get them before they get 00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:23.360 you 00:06:23.439 --> 00:06:26.000 donald trump 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:27.440 recently wrote a book called the art of 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:29.600 the deal 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:32.639 you could say that machiavelli's book is 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:34.400 the art of the double cross 00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:36.720 he not only 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:38.318 explains how to be treacherous he gives 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:40.560 you examples 00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:41.840 he calls them from history he calls them 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:43.918 from 00:06:41.839 --> 00:06:45.119 contemporary politics as well but in 00:06:43.918 --> 00:06:47.519 every case 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:50.478 he shows that crime not only pays but 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:51.758 that goodness is a waste of time and 00:06:50.478 --> 00:06:52.879 goodness will ultimately be your 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:55.520 downfall 00:06:52.879 --> 00:06:57.038 in some respects machiavelli's project 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:59.598 is like that of friedrich nietzsche 00:06:57.038 --> 00:07:01.918 it'll be a re-evaluation of all values 00:06:59.598 --> 00:07:04.719 he's going to stand the christian and 00:07:01.918 --> 00:07:07.279 the platonic view of righteousness 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:08.560 of political morality on its head 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:11.198 all the things that we previously 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:12.240 thought to be good turn out to be evil 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:14.240 all the things that we previously 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:17.360 thought to be evil turn out to be good 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:18.319 or if not good pleasurable practical 00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:20.800 useful 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:20.800 handy 00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:24.800 machiavelli 00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:26.639 has written a number of works the prince 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:28.960 which is his most famous work is a 00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:30.879 remarkably brief piece of work usually 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:32.719 when a great philosopher has some 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:33.598 important message to 00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:35.199 give 00:07:33.598 --> 00:07:37.918 he can't control his pain and if you 00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:39.680 look at say aquinas's theologica it goes 00:07:37.918 --> 00:07:41.359 on and on and on it's interminable 00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:43.519 machiavelli has not written that sort of 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:45.199 a book it's a 90-page book in and out 00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:47.120 it's meant to be a practical handbook 00:07:45.199 --> 00:07:48.800 for the tyrant 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:51.199 machiavelli's book 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:53.280 the prince was joseph stalin's favorite 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:55.360 work he kept it on his night table 00:07:53.279 --> 00:07:58.000 and it's not hard to see why it shows 00:07:55.360 --> 00:07:59.759 you how to be a good tyrant a good in 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:01.439 the sense of effective good in the sense 00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:03.038 of practical not good in the sense of 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:04.560 morally good because that's only for old 00:08:03.038 --> 00:08:06.959 ladies and kids 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:08.478 nobody seriously believes that stuff 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:10.638 now this may sound like a very cynical 00:08:08.478 --> 00:08:13.199 set of ideas in fact it is 00:08:10.639 --> 00:08:15.120 but although it is very cynical there is 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:17.120 an element of it which is practical 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:19.598 which is true like it or not 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:21.519 if you are completely good completely 00:08:19.598 --> 00:08:23.199 virtuous i am not certain that you will 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:24.878 be a completely effective and efficient 00:08:23.199 --> 00:08:26.720 politician i don't know that i want the 00:08:24.879 --> 00:08:28.080 president to be as kind and as 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:30.479 thoughtful and as philosophical as 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:32.478 marcus aurelius maybe we would be harmed 00:08:30.478 --> 00:08:34.240 as much as benefited by that 00:08:32.479 --> 00:08:35.680 i am sure on the other hand that i don't 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:37.759 want the president to be like 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:39.199 machiavelli's prince because it's a sure 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:41.519 thing we will be harmed rather than 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:42.959 benefited by that 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:45.039 prior to going into seclusion and 00:08:42.958 --> 00:08:46.719 writing this book 00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:49.759 machiavelli had 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:51.600 worked for the medici family in florence 00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:54.399 who were influential figures in 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:55.519 florentine and thus in italian politics 00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:56.958 and 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:58.480 although he had been serving them and 00:08:56.958 --> 00:09:00.159 helping them out and advising them on 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:01.600 political matters the medici had been 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:03.278 thrown out of florence had been chased 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:04.879 out and with them goes machiavelli he 00:09:03.278 --> 00:09:06.639 goes into retirement 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:09.759 now there's a definite sense here that 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:12.080 here's a man who's very intelligent very 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:13.600 bright but awfully frustrated he gives 00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:15.759 you that sense when you read the book of 00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:17.120 being a monday morning quarterback god 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:18.958 how he wants to go back into there in 00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:20.879 practical politics he hates being among 00:09:18.958 --> 00:09:22.639 the musty books in the library it's not 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:25.439 interesting to him what he primarily 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:27.759 wants is to run people's lives what he 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:29.040 primarily wants is political power and 00:09:27.759 --> 00:09:30.399 after he gets political power what he 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:32.319 wants then is more political power 00:09:30.399 --> 00:09:34.000 because you can never have enough 00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:36.080 as socrates pointed out about the 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:38.080 tyrannical man this is a thirst that can 00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:40.560 never be slaked no matter how much 00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:42.560 satisfaction you get for these desires 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:44.399 nothing is ever enough you're like 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:46.239 someone that can't get enough to eat or 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:47.759 can't get enough to drink no matter how 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:49.759 much you eat a drink it's never 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:52.159 satisfactory so here's one of the great 00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:53.600 dissatisfied individuals and he's even 00:09:52.159 --> 00:09:55.519 more dissatisfied because he's forced to 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:59.200 be an armchair quarterback and no one is 00:09:55.519 --> 00:09:59.200 more practical than nicola machiavelli 00:09:59.278 --> 00:10:04.078 he dedicates his book 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:08.000 to one of the medici family and it's one 00:10:04.078 --> 00:10:10.159 of the most flowery and flattering and 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:11.120 adoring introductions one could possibly 00:10:10.159 --> 00:10:12.879 imagine 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:14.159 and of course it's no less cynical than 00:10:12.879 --> 00:10:16.639 the rest of the book 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:18.879 the book itself tells the wise prince 00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:20.720 the monarch the he who would be tyrant 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:22.078 that he must be very careful to avoid 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:24.720 flatterers because flatterers are 00:10:22.078 --> 00:10:24.719 dangerous men 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:30.799 your noble highness 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:33.278 a clever fellow like the medici for whom 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:34.958 machiavelli is writing the book 00:10:33.278 --> 00:10:37.200 is going to see through 00:10:34.958 --> 00:10:38.879 the introduction but then wonder do i 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:40.399 want this guy on my side or do i want 00:10:38.879 --> 00:10:42.320 him on someone else's side this is a 00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:44.559 very difficult thing to consider a 00:10:42.320 --> 00:10:46.399 difficult concern for a real prince look 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:48.000 at the examples that we get in the in 00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:50.799 machiavelli's the prince 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:52.240 he gives examples of how to take over 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:54.639 countries that you are born to for 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:57.440 example if your father is the king and 00:10:54.639 --> 00:10:58.958 your f and your your father dies how you 00:10:57.440 --> 00:11:00.720 take succession there very easy the 00:10:58.958 --> 00:11:02.559 people will accept it you won't have any 00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:04.240 problem with them and when you are 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:06.479 trying to establish your rule as a new 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:07.919 ruler in this legitimate government the 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:10.159 best thing to do 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:11.838 is to establish fear because you can 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:13.039 count on fear 00:11:11.839 --> 00:11:15.120 machiavelli says it would be very nice 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:16.559 if you could be loved 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:18.078 having being loved by your people by 00:11:16.559 --> 00:11:19.679 your subjects is a very handy thing for 00:11:18.078 --> 00:11:21.359 ruler and machiavelli says it's not that 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:22.879 love is intrinsically good but rather 00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:24.480 love is handy and practical and if you 00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:25.679 people love you they're less likely to 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:27.680 give you a problem so you should 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:28.479 cultivate love 00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:31.199 now 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:32.560 love is is a nice thing to have but 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:34.399 fear fear is the kind of thing 00:11:32.559 --> 00:11:36.399 machiavelli really understands he likes 00:11:34.399 --> 00:11:38.879 fear because fear is one of those things 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:40.720 you can count on and if as machiavelli 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:42.000 points out you are forced to choose 00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:43.920 between having the people love you and 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:45.360 having them fear you make sure you have 00:11:43.919 --> 00:11:47.360 them fear you 00:11:45.360 --> 00:11:49.360 because you can count on fear people's 00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:51.680 love you'll never be sure enough about 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:53.278 that but fear you can count on so it's 00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:55.120 important to be 00:11:53.278 --> 00:11:57.439 feared the next best thing is to be 00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:59.120 loved the only thing the prince must 00:11:57.440 --> 00:12:01.519 avoid according to machiavelli the 00:11:59.120 --> 00:12:03.278 prince cannot afford to be hated when 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:05.120 the people hate you they will come and 00:12:03.278 --> 00:12:06.799 get you one way or another they will 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:08.959 depose you and the whole name of this 00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:10.799 game is to take power and to control 00:12:08.958 --> 00:12:13.359 power and to make it your own and then 00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:15.439 to absorb more power 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:17.278 there's a part in which he says well 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:18.800 it's nice if you can inherit a kingdom 00:12:17.278 --> 00:12:20.720 from your father if your father has to 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:22.159 be the king but very few of us are lucky 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:23.600 enough to have that circumstance now you 00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:25.679 must think back to your head that in 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:27.519 your head that machiavelli's father 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:28.958 was the pope which is very handy 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:30.480 circumstances just the problem is you 00:12:28.958 --> 00:12:32.638 you can't get to the papacy by 00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:33.839 hereditary succession so we have kind of 00:12:32.639 --> 00:12:35.680 a difficulty there yeah they've been 00:12:33.839 --> 00:12:36.880 careful about that 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:38.479 well 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:40.240 machiavelli says if you don't have to be 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:42.240 born to the throne if you don't get the 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:44.159 royal purple by matter of birth there's 00:12:42.240 --> 00:12:45.759 always usurpation which is a great 00:12:44.159 --> 00:12:48.879 favorite activity for him he really 00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:50.240 likes usurpation so the idea of getting 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:52.639 close to the throne of gradually 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:54.959 weaseling your way into the court 00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:56.480 and telling of course the king or the 00:12:54.958 --> 00:12:58.638 prince or the legitimate ruler how much 00:12:56.480 --> 00:13:00.639 you admire him and how well you think of 00:12:58.639 --> 00:13:02.720 him and how important it is to 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:04.639 constantly be pursuing machiavellian 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:06.079 political policies 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:07.919 the more you'll become important 00:13:06.078 --> 00:13:09.199 indispensable the more you could stab 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:11.439 him in the back and take control of the 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:12.800 government yourself 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:14.480 machiavelli's 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:16.479 moral universe 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:18.240 is the moral universe of the wolf of the 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:19.519 predatory animal 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:21.600 machiavelli 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:22.560 and his political philosophy 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:24.560 has 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:25.919 a horrifying brilliance through it on 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:27.679 account of the fact that it's consistent 00:13:25.919 --> 00:13:30.000 with much of what we see in political 00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:31.439 life on an everyday basis 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:33.519 the drawback of this conception of 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:35.920 political philosophy and the contempt 00:13:33.519 --> 00:13:38.320 and conception of an amoral universe is 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:40.479 that it makes people 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:41.440 no longer social animals 00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:44.000 stop and think about what the 00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:46.240 machiavellian wants us to do he wants us 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:48.000 to constantly betray others 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:49.759 both above us in the political structure 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:51.440 and below us in the political structure 00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:53.838 in order to satisfy our own lust for 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:55.360 power a lust which is never satisfied 00:13:53.839 --> 00:13:57.120 which only grows bigger and bigger as 00:13:55.360 --> 00:13:58.240 its objects become bigger and bigger 00:13:57.120 --> 00:14:00.078 that's one of the reasons incidentally 00:13:58.240 --> 00:14:02.079 where machiavelli likes roman history so 00:14:00.078 --> 00:14:03.359 much roman history is full of creatures 00:14:02.078 --> 00:14:05.759 like this machiavelli thinks they're 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:09.759 wonderful he thinks that the italy of 00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:12.078 the 1500s 16th century italy is feeble 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:13.759 prostrate broken up into fragmented 00:14:12.078 --> 00:14:16.000 warring little cliques 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:17.759 that prevent real political glory from 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:19.919 coming into being the reason why he 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:22.879 likes a horrifying figure like caesar 00:14:19.919 --> 00:14:27.039 borgia is that caesar borgia 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:29.039 is the man of virtue virtu virtue is 00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:31.360 exactly the opposite of platonic virtue 00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:33.039 it is much more like thrasamakian virtue 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:34.879 it is the virtue of the man that tells 00:14:33.039 --> 00:14:37.360 lies that stabs people in the back that 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:40.559 does whatever it takes to satisfy his 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:42.159 unquenchable desire for power 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:43.759 so what we need is a man of year two and 00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:45.519 this book is designed to create veer two 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:48.000 the problem is that this viewer ii is 00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:50.879 the virtue of the predatory animal not 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:52.559 of the rational human being or it's the 00:14:50.879 --> 00:14:55.439 rational human being insofar as that 00:14:52.559 --> 00:14:58.319 rationality is completely 00:14:55.440 --> 00:15:00.480 subjugated or subordinate to one's 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:02.480 irrational desires and if you stop and 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:04.000 look back at what the soul of the 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:05.440 tyrannical man was supposed to look like 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:06.799 in the republic you realize that the 00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:08.560 desiring part is really running the 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:10.639 rational part the rational part of the 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:13.518 soul is just an instrument in the hands 00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:15.440 of his desire for power or sex or money 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:17.679 or what have you machiavelli takes that 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:19.839 same conception of the soul desire comes 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:21.759 first my desire for power 00:15:19.839 --> 00:15:23.920 determines all my other activities and 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:25.439 my rationality is subordinate to that so 00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:28.639 machiavelli wants us to have that kind 00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:29.839 of veer too the virtue of the leopard 00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:32.399 the 00:15:29.839 --> 00:15:33.759 the guiltless killing of the hawk 00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:35.519 the hawk doesn't feel bad about killing 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:37.039 sparrows that's the way hawks are the 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:39.198 way of nature is the way of cruelty we 00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:40.719 must learn to live with that or die with 00:15:39.198 --> 00:15:42.559 that if you get if you get your way 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:43.600 through machiavelli 00:15:42.559 --> 00:15:44.958 excuse me 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:47.040 now 00:15:44.958 --> 00:15:49.518 let's come back to the problem of italy 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:51.439 italy is fragmented italy is broken up 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:54.000 italy is in a historically horrible set 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:56.480 of circumstances and machiavelli is 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:59.039 sounding a clarion call to break through 00:15:56.480 --> 00:16:02.800 from old ecclesiastical borrowings old 00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:05.759 scriptural conceptions of virtue old 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:07.599 greco-roman conceptions of morality what 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:09.919 machiavelli wants is a good practical 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:11.680 politician that will scheme and lie his 00:16:09.919 --> 00:16:13.519 way to the top and once he gets to the 00:16:11.679 --> 00:16:15.039 top of a particular italian city-state 00:16:13.519 --> 00:16:16.959 he will attack one city-state after 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:19.198 another and unify italy and create 00:16:16.958 --> 00:16:22.159 something like a new roman empire there 00:16:19.198 --> 00:16:24.639 can be new glory a new this worldly 00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:26.480 satisfaction of the potential for human 00:16:24.639 --> 00:16:28.240 greatness remember that machiavelli is 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:30.399 completely opposed to all metaphysical 00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:32.159 interpretations of the world machiavelli 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:34.159 does not believe in heaven and hell 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:35.519 machiavelli does not believe in god 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:37.278 machiavelli does not believe in the 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:39.198 realm of the forms all machiavelli 00:16:37.278 --> 00:16:40.879 believes in is here and now 00:16:39.198 --> 00:16:43.278 the main chance how are we going to get 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:45.198 what we want right now and machiavelli's 00:16:43.278 --> 00:16:47.198 conception of virtue of the blessed 00:16:45.198 --> 00:16:50.000 human condition of the well-organized 00:16:47.198 --> 00:16:53.039 human soul and of the practically run 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:56.480 political society all come together in 00:16:53.039 --> 00:16:58.159 this figure of the ruthless tyrannical 00:16:56.480 --> 00:16:59.839 prince 00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:00.799 now this tyrannical prince 00:16:59.839 --> 00:17:02.880 will be 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:06.159 as machiavelli says like a lion and a 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:07.919 fox when he's faced with military 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:10.558 dangers or threats that are direct and 00:17:07.919 --> 00:17:12.480 obvious he's a lion he can withstand 00:17:10.558 --> 00:17:14.160 anyone else's direct coercive force 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:16.078 because he's a military man machiavelli 00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:17.600 likes blood and gore he's a very 00:17:16.078 --> 00:17:19.918 military kind of fellow he really likes 00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:20.639 military solutions but in addition to 00:17:19.919 --> 00:17:22.559 that 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:24.240 being a being a lion is not enough in 00:17:22.558 --> 00:17:26.959 addition to that it's also necessary to 00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:28.880 be a fox what we mean by being a fox is 00:17:26.959 --> 00:17:32.400 that one must be clever 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:34.960 sly cunning deceitful and when you're 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:37.120 powerful and at the same time deceitful 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:38.880 when you can confuse them when you can 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:40.719 confuse your opponents and defeat them 00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:42.960 in a practical coercive sense then you 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:44.079 are the man of realver2 this is the kind 00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:46.240 of guy that's going to go straight to 00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:48.639 the top he's going to climb a pile of 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:50.798 corpses on his way there but then again 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:53.038 he has no moral compunctions about it 00:17:50.798 --> 00:17:54.639 there is no god to judge him there is no 00:17:53.038 --> 00:17:56.558 metaphysical standard by which to judge 00:17:54.640 --> 00:17:59.038 this he either succeeds or he doesn't 00:17:56.558 --> 00:18:00.879 it's a sort of nihilistic approach to 00:17:59.038 --> 00:18:02.960 politics in which the gratification of 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:04.320 the individual ego is raised the status 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:06.240 of a principle 00:18:04.319 --> 00:18:08.480 in some respects this is why the 00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:10.960 renaissance and particularly the the 00:18:08.480 --> 00:18:12.558 human-centered political science that's 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:14.000 characteristic of the renaissance which 00:18:12.558 --> 00:18:16.319 is a big change from that of the middle 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:18.240 ages is such a turning of the corner in 00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:20.558 the western political tradition we're 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:22.558 moving away from god-centered politics 00:18:20.558 --> 00:18:24.798 toward man-centered politics and 00:18:22.558 --> 00:18:26.879 man-centered politics is ugly 00:18:24.798 --> 00:18:29.279 man-centered politics is bloody and 00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:31.440 man-centered politics serves no ends 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:33.519 but human ends and human desires there 00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:34.640 is no 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:36.319 ultimate 00:18:34.640 --> 00:18:39.360 summum bonum 00:18:36.319 --> 00:18:41.038 no ultimate good that politics gestures 00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:43.199 at 00:18:41.038 --> 00:18:45.359 machiavelli gives a very fine example of 00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:47.279 a of an action which he considers to 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:48.558 have great political wisdom in it i 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:50.480 think you'll like this 00:18:48.558 --> 00:18:51.599 there was a ruler 00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:52.720 who 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:53.839 attacked and conquered another 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:55.200 city-state 00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:58.798 but there's still a great deal of 00:18:55.200 --> 00:19:01.600 banditry a good bit of outlawy uh 00:18:58.798 --> 00:19:03.359 political chaos in the countryside 00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:05.279 so this ruler and machiavelli thinks 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:06.798 this rule is a very wise fellow 00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:08.798 he sends his second in command his 00:19:06.798 --> 00:19:10.240 lieutenant to that city and he says i 00:19:08.798 --> 00:19:11.839 give you complete power of life and 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:14.000 death over all the citizens of that city 00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:15.519 because now they're mine 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:17.759 and i want you to go down there and lay 00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:20.000 down the law i want you to ruthlessly 00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:22.000 exterminate all of my enemies i want you 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:23.519 to to make the decrees i think 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:25.440 appropriate and whatever degrees you 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:27.038 think are appropriate make them all and 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:29.519 lean on these people 00:19:27.038 --> 00:19:31.038 go in and coerce them intimidate them 00:19:29.519 --> 00:19:32.160 frighten them 00:19:31.038 --> 00:19:33.839 until they 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:35.600 concede that 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:37.199 i am the legitimate ruler here and that 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:38.639 you rule in my name and i give you 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:40.880 complete power if any of them complain 00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:43.120 about you tell them i've given delegated 00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:45.760 my authority to you and if they give you 00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:47.599 any more problems beyond that kill them 00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:48.960 now that's only half of the story 00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:51.119 there's more to it 00:19:48.960 --> 00:19:52.640 after doing that the prince lets this 00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:55.519 guy do it for a couple of months three 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:57.440 four five months and this very cruel 00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:58.798 very bloodthirsty very ruthless second 00:19:57.440 --> 00:20:00.720 in command 00:19:58.798 --> 00:20:02.000 dominates the people lots of mass 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:03.519 executions 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:05.599 cruel tortures 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:06.960 horrible bloody spectacles which 00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:08.000 frighten the people there out of their 00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:10.400 wits 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:12.400 now here's a problem this is part of 00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:14.000 machiavellianism fear is a good thing 00:20:12.400 --> 00:20:16.320 you can count on people's fear and this 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:18.640 guy's made him plenty afraid but we have 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:20.000 a problem here the potential for hatred 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:23.679 certainly if you've killed someone's 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:25.038 father mother son daughter husband wife 00:20:23.679 --> 00:20:27.519 it's going to be payback time 00:20:25.038 --> 00:20:30.158 machiavelli has no conception of 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:32.079 forgiveness no idea that charity ought 00:20:30.159 --> 00:20:34.799 to be extended to us sinners he thinks 00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:36.639 that's for children and old ladies no 00:20:34.798 --> 00:20:38.558 machiavelli says the right way to handle 00:20:36.640 --> 00:20:41.679 this is the way the prince in this case 00:20:38.558 --> 00:20:43.279 handled it he went to that second city 00:20:41.679 --> 00:20:44.480 and he asked the people in that city 00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:46.720 what do you think of my new ruler here 00:20:44.480 --> 00:20:48.400 is he a nice fellow a real charmer isn't 00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:49.200 he and it turns out 00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:50.960 that 00:20:49.200 --> 00:20:53.360 the people were 00:20:50.960 --> 00:20:54.960 horrified by the terrible cruelties the 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:57.839 tortures and the murders the public 00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:59.679 executions that he had imposed on them 00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:00.879 so secretly that night 00:20:59.679 --> 00:21:03.840 the prince was sitting back there 00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:05.760 thinking about this and he orders his 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:07.599 secret police or his private guardsmen 00:21:05.759 --> 00:21:08.798 the ones he can really trust whoever 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:10.719 they are 00:21:08.798 --> 00:21:12.720 it tells them i want you secretly to go 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:15.200 to the room of my second in command the 00:21:12.720 --> 00:21:16.880 man i gave this bloody authority to 00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:18.798 and i want you to take him out to the 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:20.240 center of the square of this town and i 00:21:18.798 --> 00:21:21.918 want you to cut him in half and leave 00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:23.440 him there 00:21:21.919 --> 00:21:24.159 next morning the people of the town get 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:26.159 up 00:21:24.159 --> 00:21:29.520 and what do they see but a man who is 00:21:26.159 --> 00:21:31.280 the object of intense hatred to them 00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:33.038 pieces of him all over the center of the 00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:35.599 square 00:21:33.038 --> 00:21:37.279 and then our prince sets out a decree 00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:39.199 that he had heard 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:41.119 through some source which he isn't going 00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:43.440 to name that this man had been very 00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:45.678 severe and very violent and we can't 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:47.679 have any of that in a well-run state he 00:21:45.679 --> 00:21:49.440 had heard that this man had usurped 00:21:47.679 --> 00:21:51.120 power that the prince had never given 00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:52.960 him and because the second command had 00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:54.959 been so bloody-minded and such an evil 00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:56.558 cruel fellow the prince's justice the 00:21:54.960 --> 00:21:58.480 prince's mercy and the person's prince's 00:21:56.558 --> 00:22:00.240 honesty required that he'd be cut in 00:21:58.480 --> 00:22:02.319 half 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:04.400 the art of the double cross you send a 00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:06.000 guy out to do the dirty work you cut his 00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:07.120 throat you throw them to the wolves you 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:09.279 give them to the people that are left 00:22:07.119 --> 00:22:11.038 over and then you clean up the gravy at 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:13.918 the end of it this is machiavelli's 00:22:11.038 --> 00:22:16.319 conception of good politics he specifies 00:22:13.919 --> 00:22:18.159 that particular example as an example of 00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:20.158 a man who really knows his way around 00:22:18.159 --> 00:22:22.480 political stuff first you'll first you 00:22:20.159 --> 00:22:23.679 conquer people that you have no right to 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:26.000 and then you send somebody out there to 00:22:23.679 --> 00:22:28.000 do extremely evil and unpleasant and 00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:29.919 violent things to them 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:31.679 and you lie to him and say that 00:22:29.919 --> 00:22:32.640 you do it with my blessing 00:22:31.679 --> 00:22:33.840 and then you go to the people and you 00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:34.880 act like you're blameless so they won't 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:36.319 hate you 00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:37.919 and then you kill this guy throw him to 00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:39.439 the wolves and the people lap it up and 00:22:37.919 --> 00:22:40.799 say what a nice failure i'm glad we got 00:22:39.440 --> 00:22:42.240 a prince like you 00:22:40.798 --> 00:22:43.200 much better than the guy we had here we 00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:44.558 thought he was acting with your 00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:45.919 authority but of course now we see that 00:22:44.558 --> 00:22:48.480 he wasn't 00:22:45.919 --> 00:22:51.280 that's what the word machiavellian means 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:53.759 two three four levels of meaning 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:56.399 all devoted to the same task 00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:58.720 to the organization and acquire 00:22:56.400 --> 00:23:00.880 acquisition of political power 00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:03.919 by any means necessary 00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:07.200 this man is not careful about the means 00:23:03.919 --> 00:23:09.440 that he uses to achieve his ends 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:11.360 so machiavelli writes his prince 00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:13.360 90 pages in order that a practical 00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:15.038 politician can have this around for 00:23:13.359 --> 00:23:16.158 inspiration and isn't it inspirational 00:23:15.038 --> 00:23:19.200 reading those of you who have looked at 00:23:16.159 --> 00:23:21.039 it before will find that like it or not 00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:23.159 it is in some respects inspirational 00:23:21.038 --> 00:23:26.240 reading simply because of the 00:23:23.159 --> 00:23:28.799 single-mindedness the ruthless pursuit 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:30.798 of practical political power as a 00:23:28.798 --> 00:23:33.519 handbook for doing that 00:23:30.798 --> 00:23:35.519 i think it has never been excelled 00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:37.359 the difficulty of course with this is as 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:39.759 i said a little earlier it prevents 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:41.199 human beings from being social animals 00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:42.558 stop and think about it for a minute 00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:43.679 suppose you're a member of the medici 00:23:42.558 --> 00:23:46.639 family 00:23:43.679 --> 00:23:48.400 and suppose this guy machiavelli writes 00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:50.320 the prince and dedicates it to you and 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:51.759 tells you to beware of flatterers and 00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:53.119 beware of people that are trying to get 00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:55.359 in good with you because you can never 00:23:53.119 --> 00:23:56.879 trust them they may stab you in the back 00:23:55.359 --> 00:23:58.719 suppose you were a political ruler and 00:23:56.880 --> 00:23:59.840 he wrote it to you would you hire him to 00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:01.200 work for you 00:23:59.839 --> 00:24:02.879 what would happen if you had him on your 00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:04.558 staff where's where your staff is going 00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:06.640 to start disappearing 00:24:04.558 --> 00:24:07.918 right unforeseen accidents they're all 00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:09.600 going to start as he moves up the ladder 00:24:07.919 --> 00:24:11.038 of command 00:24:09.599 --> 00:24:12.798 bad things happen to good people all 00:24:11.038 --> 00:24:14.558 kinds of stuff could happen here and 00:24:12.798 --> 00:24:17.278 then it may well be 00:24:14.558 --> 00:24:19.119 that some horrible misfortune may occur 00:24:17.278 --> 00:24:20.400 while you're out riding while you happen 00:24:19.119 --> 00:24:22.479 to be asleep well you happen to have 00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:25.440 your back turned in other words 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:27.919 he is here so he can usurp your position 00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:29.519 why oh why if you had any brains at all 00:24:27.919 --> 00:24:32.960 would you choose to have him on your 00:24:29.519 --> 00:24:35.359 staff there is no man who is less 00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:37.038 appropriate to the staff of a politician 00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:38.639 than machiavelli and yet in some 00:24:37.038 --> 00:24:41.359 respects 00:24:38.640 --> 00:24:43.840 there is a lure he does show you a 00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:45.918 horrible worldly wisdom 00:24:43.839 --> 00:24:47.439 which maybe you want on your own side 00:24:45.919 --> 00:24:49.360 rather than on your other rather than on 00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:50.320 your opponent's side but if he's on your 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:51.759 side 00:24:50.319 --> 00:24:54.000 well i guess he really can't be on your 00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:55.679 side i guess he's always on his own side 00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:57.440 which is part of the problem machiavelli 00:24:55.679 --> 00:24:59.440 is not a team player 00:24:57.440 --> 00:25:00.798 if you were a ruler you would never in 00:24:59.440 --> 00:25:01.919 your right mind have to keep work for 00:25:00.798 --> 00:25:03.918 you 00:25:01.919 --> 00:25:05.360 turn it around suppose 00:25:03.919 --> 00:25:07.759 a ruler is foolish enough to bring a 00:25:05.359 --> 00:25:09.359 machiavellian in the machiavellian kills 00:25:07.759 --> 00:25:11.679 him makes it look like someone else did 00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:14.000 it he takes over the throne 00:25:11.679 --> 00:25:16.320 a person would have to be crazy to work 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:17.038 for machiavelli as opposed to have him 00:25:16.319 --> 00:25:18.480 in 00:25:17.038 --> 00:25:20.400 in addition to having him work for you 00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:22.159 in other words suppose he were to become 00:25:20.400 --> 00:25:23.360 the prince of the king what's he going 00:25:22.159 --> 00:25:24.720 to do with you when you become his 00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:27.278 number two or number three or number 00:25:24.720 --> 00:25:29.919 four man you are expendable everyone is 00:25:27.278 --> 00:25:32.798 expendable to the machiavellian you have 00:25:29.919 --> 00:25:35.038 no intrinsic value except as a vehicle 00:25:32.798 --> 00:25:37.359 by which he can satisfy his desires by 00:25:35.038 --> 00:25:39.278 which he can gratify his lust for power 00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:41.519 so the machiavellian soul is the 00:25:39.278 --> 00:25:43.278 tyrannical soul in some respects when 00:25:41.519 --> 00:25:45.200 you go back and look at plato's republic 00:25:43.278 --> 00:25:46.720 almost all the great themes in western 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:50.000 political philosophy are to be found 00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:52.640 there machiavelli is nothing really new 00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:54.880 machiavelli is a codification 00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:57.919 not quite a systematization but a 00:25:54.880 --> 00:26:01.039 handbook for the would-be tyrant he's a 00:25:57.919 --> 00:26:02.559 handbook of it's a handbook of sophistry 00:26:01.038 --> 00:26:04.558 right because he says one thing it means 00:26:02.558 --> 00:26:05.759 another and in fact the meaning of his 00:26:04.558 --> 00:26:07.200 statements doesn't matter so long as it 00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:09.519 gets the practical result of achieving 00:26:07.200 --> 00:26:11.600 political power and it's an entirely 00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:12.720 this worldly orientation 00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:14.639 if we had to look at the ancient 00:26:12.720 --> 00:26:18.480 political tradition 00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:20.240 both platonism and christianity 00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:22.558 organized the political theory with 00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:25.038 reference to the will of some 00:26:22.558 --> 00:26:27.200 giant metaphysical law giver in the case 00:26:25.038 --> 00:26:29.679 of plato it's the form of the good in 00:26:27.200 --> 00:26:30.960 the case of christianity it's god's 00:26:29.679 --> 00:26:34.559 omnipotence 00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:37.200 but in either case the key issue is 00:26:34.558 --> 00:26:38.798 making our behavior and our souls and 00:26:37.200 --> 00:26:41.120 our lives consistent with the 00:26:38.798 --> 00:26:42.720 obligations imposed by this thing in the 00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:45.199 metaphysical realm 00:26:42.720 --> 00:26:47.120 once we abolish the metaphysical realm 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:48.880 there is no law or ultimate standard by 00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:50.798 which to judge our actions and by which 00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:52.240 to judge our good and evil and that 00:26:50.798 --> 00:26:54.240 means there's only the satisfaction of 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:55.759 desires down here and this leads 00:26:54.240 --> 00:26:57.519 straight to the softest political 00:26:55.759 --> 00:26:59.519 position that political power is an end 00:26:57.519 --> 00:27:00.798 in itself that the satisfaction of 00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:03.278 people's desires has an end in 00:27:00.798 --> 00:27:06.240 themselves and the real true state of 00:27:03.278 --> 00:27:09.038 human felicity is having profound 00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:11.759 vehement extraordinarily 00:27:09.038 --> 00:27:13.759 forceful emotions passions and then 00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:16.158 satisfying them and the continuous 00:27:13.759 --> 00:27:18.798 satisfaction of vehement passions is 00:27:16.159 --> 00:27:21.679 what machiavelli and the sophists and 00:27:18.798 --> 00:27:23.200 all of this cynical political tradition 00:27:21.679 --> 00:27:25.200 cynical not in the literal sense but in 00:27:23.200 --> 00:27:27.038 the broad general sense this cynical 00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:28.798 political tradition 00:27:27.038 --> 00:27:31.119 enjoins us too 00:27:28.798 --> 00:27:33.278 so all of you who are would-be rulers 00:27:31.119 --> 00:27:35.599 this is the book for you the difficulty 00:27:33.278 --> 00:27:36.880 is is that it tells us all 00:27:35.599 --> 00:27:38.398 or perhaps not all of us but all of us 00:27:36.880 --> 00:27:41.360 who have the nerve 00:27:38.398 --> 00:27:43.278 not to succumb to metaphysics 00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:46.319 who are willing to break free of the 00:27:43.278 --> 00:27:47.200 mold of mere morality it tells us how to 00:27:46.319 --> 00:27:49.599 become 00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:50.798 chiefs and no longer indians and of 00:27:49.599 --> 00:27:52.639 course if we were all to follow that 00:27:50.798 --> 00:27:54.798 there'd be all chiefs and no indians but 00:27:52.640 --> 00:27:57.038 machiavelli is under no illusions 00:27:54.798 --> 00:27:58.639 about everybody having the capacity to 00:27:57.038 --> 00:28:01.200 do this it's only the extraordinary 00:27:58.640 --> 00:28:03.278 individual like himself or like caesar 00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:05.120 borgia or like a handful of the other 00:28:03.278 --> 00:28:06.558 great tyrants in history that have 00:28:05.119 --> 00:28:07.759 really shown us what human beings are 00:28:06.558 --> 00:28:09.278 capable of 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:11.679 in some respect 00:28:09.278 --> 00:28:13.839 machiavelli is similar to plato in that 00:28:11.679 --> 00:28:16.320 both plato and machiavelli are trying to 00:28:13.839 --> 00:28:18.639 show us something buried deep in the 00:28:16.319 --> 00:28:19.918 marrow of the human soul at the very 00:28:18.640 --> 00:28:22.240 center of it 00:28:19.919 --> 00:28:23.679 plato thinks there's an eternal goodness 00:28:22.240 --> 00:28:26.798 a final 00:28:23.679 --> 00:28:29.038 spark of the divine soul which allows us 00:28:26.798 --> 00:28:30.639 to get some access to the mind of god 00:28:29.038 --> 00:28:32.879 and to the understanding of ultimate 00:28:30.640 --> 00:28:35.440 truth and wisdom 00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:36.960 machiavelli believes that at the core of 00:28:35.440 --> 00:28:39.440 the human soul 00:28:36.960 --> 00:28:41.519 in the marrow of the psyche 00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:44.240 there is a beast 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:46.720 an untamed animal which wants only the 00:28:44.240 --> 00:28:48.319 satisfaction of its desires 00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:50.798 in some respects this is a very 00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:52.079 prescient theory because it anticipates 00:28:50.798 --> 00:28:54.558 many of the views that will later be 00:28:52.079 --> 00:28:58.240 held by sigmund freud 00:28:54.558 --> 00:29:00.000 underneath our superego underneath this 00:28:58.240 --> 00:29:01.278 veil of civility 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:03.359 this 00:29:01.278 --> 00:29:05.359 veneer of righteousness in fact we are 00:29:03.359 --> 00:29:08.959 animals exclusively concerned with the 00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:10.959 satisfaction of our physical desires 00:29:08.960 --> 00:29:14.880 we are beasts 00:29:10.960 --> 00:29:16.079 with a very very thin shell of rational 00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:18.240 morality 00:29:16.079 --> 00:29:21.038 machiavelli suggests that we should 00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:23.679 become on the outside what we are on the 00:29:21.038 --> 00:29:25.839 inside except in such cases when it's 00:29:23.679 --> 00:29:29.120 inconvenient if it's convenient to look 00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:30.480 pious gentle kind and good well that's 00:29:29.119 --> 00:29:32.479 just fine the important thing is not to 00:29:30.480 --> 00:29:35.200 be gentle kind and good the important 00:29:32.480 --> 00:29:38.000 thing is to be ruthless and rapacious 00:29:35.200 --> 00:29:38.000 and treacherous 00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:41.679 if you are familiar with the play king 00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:43.759 lear 00:29:41.679 --> 00:29:45.519 the edmond and edgar characters 00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:47.038 particularly the uh the bastard son i 00:29:45.519 --> 00:29:48.398 think it's edmund 00:29:47.038 --> 00:29:50.640 gives a wonderful speech in which he 00:29:48.398 --> 00:29:54.479 talks about legitimacy in which he talks 00:29:50.640 --> 00:29:57.120 about the order of political right and 00:29:54.480 --> 00:29:58.558 the circumstances of inheritance and 00:29:57.119 --> 00:29:59.759 social status 00:29:58.558 --> 00:30:01.038 and 00:29:59.759 --> 00:30:03.599 when he says in the beginning of that 00:30:01.038 --> 00:30:06.079 soliloquy thou nature art my goddess and 00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:08.000 to thy law my services are bound 00:30:06.079 --> 00:30:09.199 that prayer was about the only prayer 00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:12.000 that machiavelli could say with a 00:30:09.200 --> 00:30:13.759 straight face nature red and fang and 00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:15.759 claw is 00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:17.440 the goddess to whom his services are 00:30:15.759 --> 00:30:20.480 bound 00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:23.278 nature which is 00:30:20.480 --> 00:30:25.038 the fundamental reality we are human 00:30:23.278 --> 00:30:26.319 physical things that's remember where 00:30:25.038 --> 00:30:28.158 that's where the word nature comes from 00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:31.038 from the greek word phusis 00:30:28.159 --> 00:30:33.440 right so we are physical beings we are 00:30:31.038 --> 00:30:35.519 not spirits in a material world we are 00:30:33.440 --> 00:30:37.120 rapacious bits of meat that do whatever 00:30:35.519 --> 00:30:39.759 we can to take advantage of each other 00:30:37.119 --> 00:30:41.759 except when we're deluding ourselves 00:30:39.759 --> 00:30:44.240 with things like morals religion 00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:45.599 kindness gentleness milk of human virtue 00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:47.759 that sort of thing but apart from 00:30:45.599 --> 00:30:50.639 delusions like that and silly poetry 00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:52.000 appropriate for the feeble the weak the 00:30:50.640 --> 00:30:54.240 christians 00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:55.119 in life there's only 00:30:54.240 --> 00:30:56.079 blood 00:30:55.119 --> 00:30:57.199 gore 00:30:56.079 --> 00:30:59.519 power 00:30:57.200 --> 00:31:01.038 the intoxication of not only surviving 00:30:59.519 --> 00:31:02.720 but conquering 00:31:01.038 --> 00:31:05.679 we might say that machiavelli's 00:31:02.720 --> 00:31:08.079 conception of virtue harks back not to 00:31:05.679 --> 00:31:09.759 the socratic conception of virtue but to 00:31:08.079 --> 00:31:11.918 the conception of virtue characteristic 00:31:09.759 --> 00:31:13.919 of homer in the iliad in the odyssey 00:31:11.919 --> 00:31:15.440 it's the lying treacherous virtue of 00:31:13.919 --> 00:31:18.240 odysseus 00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:19.360 it's the powerful lion-like virtues of 00:31:18.240 --> 00:31:22.079 achilles 00:31:19.359 --> 00:31:25.119 if you are a good warrior able to coerce 00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:26.000 other people able to impose your will 00:31:25.119 --> 00:31:27.918 on 00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:29.440 a universe that is both indifferent to 00:31:27.919 --> 00:31:32.480 you and indifferent to 00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:34.240 any moral structure you might create 00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:37.120 then and only then are you a man worth 00:31:34.240 --> 00:31:40.240 taking seriously he enjoins us to create 00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:43.599 to go back to the earlier pre-socratic 00:31:40.240 --> 00:31:47.038 pre-christian virtues we hear the drums 00:31:43.599 --> 00:31:49.599 of a primitive heroism in this book it 00:31:47.038 --> 00:31:51.359 is a blast from the past and at the same 00:31:49.599 --> 00:31:53.038 time it is one of the most modern of 00:31:51.359 --> 00:31:55.038 political works 00:31:53.038 --> 00:31:56.879 if we take for granted and i think it a 00:31:55.038 --> 00:31:59.359 fair assumption that at this point in 00:31:56.880 --> 00:32:01.278 time we live in a secular age we live in 00:31:59.359 --> 00:32:03.678 an age which is contemptuous of 00:32:01.278 --> 00:32:06.000 metaphysics which is contemptuous of 00:32:03.679 --> 00:32:08.240 references to abstract morality then in 00:32:06.000 --> 00:32:09.359 some respects we live in a machiavellian 00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:12.558 universe 00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:14.879 even if we have some sort of ativistic 00:32:12.558 --> 00:32:16.480 connection back to an earlier morality 00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:18.159 that meant something more than personal 00:32:16.480 --> 00:32:20.319 self-gratification 00:32:18.159 --> 00:32:22.640 in that respect machiavelli is a very 00:32:20.319 --> 00:32:24.398 modern political thinker he is the first 00:32:22.640 --> 00:32:26.240 political thinker to break from that 00:32:24.398 --> 00:32:28.959 metaphysical tradition towards a 00:32:26.240 --> 00:32:31.839 completely physical tradition to move 00:32:28.960 --> 00:32:33.278 from a sacred politics to a profane 00:32:31.839 --> 00:32:35.439 politics 00:32:33.278 --> 00:32:36.720 or you might say that he undoes the 00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:39.840 distinction between the sacred and 00:32:36.720 --> 00:32:41.360 profane by abolishing the sacred so the 00:32:39.839 --> 00:32:44.158 world around us is neither sacred nor 00:32:41.359 --> 00:32:46.240 profane it just is what it is 00:32:44.159 --> 00:32:47.760 and you are what you are and what you 00:32:46.240 --> 00:32:49.919 are in fact 00:32:47.759 --> 00:32:52.319 is a wolf guarding the sheep if you 00:32:49.919 --> 00:32:54.320 remember the analogy that thrasymachus 00:32:52.319 --> 00:32:56.720 makes in the first book of the republic 00:32:54.319 --> 00:32:58.398 that the ruler relates to the citizens 00:32:56.720 --> 00:33:00.159 that he that are his subjects the way a 00:32:58.398 --> 00:33:02.319 shepherd relates to a sheep or to a 00:33:00.159 --> 00:33:04.080 flock of sheep he keeps them there not 00:33:02.319 --> 00:33:06.000 because he likes the sheep not because 00:33:04.079 --> 00:33:07.918 he has any moral obligation to the sheep 00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:10.000 but because he likes pork he likes lamb 00:33:07.919 --> 00:33:12.559 chops he likes to turn these things into 00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:14.480 his sustenance well other people the 00:33:12.558 --> 00:33:16.960 subjects in the machiavellian state will 00:33:14.480 --> 00:33:19.440 exist only in order to satisfy the 00:33:16.960 --> 00:33:21.919 physical carnal carnals are well chosen 00:33:19.440 --> 00:33:24.798 where they're carnal desires of the 00:33:21.919 --> 00:33:26.640 machiavellian prince achilles might have 00:33:24.798 --> 00:33:28.319 liked machiavelli if he had understood 00:33:26.640 --> 00:33:29.679 what was being said 00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:31.359 odysseus i think certainly would have 00:33:29.679 --> 00:33:33.840 liked machiavelli because he brings 00:33:31.359 --> 00:33:35.199 together both the lion and the fox i 00:33:33.839 --> 00:33:37.119 would say not so much achilles because 00:33:35.200 --> 00:33:39.278 achilles is a little on the dumb side 00:33:37.119 --> 00:33:41.759 but odysseus as the perfect 00:33:39.278 --> 00:33:43.599 machiavellian hero brings together the 00:33:41.759 --> 00:33:45.679 willingness to lie the willingness to 00:33:43.599 --> 00:33:47.119 violate oaths the willingness to break 00:33:45.679 --> 00:33:50.559 whatever social conventions are around 00:33:47.119 --> 00:33:50.558 you in order to achieve your ends 00:33:50.839 --> 00:33:58.398 the centered focused fierce desire to 00:33:55.278 --> 00:34:00.480 satisfy your innermost longings in some 00:33:58.398 --> 00:34:02.319 respects machiavelli is what people 00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:04.960 would be like in the freudian sense if 00:34:02.319 --> 00:34:06.558 you took away the superego altogether or 00:34:04.960 --> 00:34:08.800 if you only kept the superego the 00:34:06.558 --> 00:34:11.279 conception of righteousness of moral 00:34:08.800 --> 00:34:12.480 virtue as a veneer to protect you from 00:34:11.280 --> 00:34:14.320 other people's 00:34:12.480 --> 00:34:16.398 condemnation 00:34:14.320 --> 00:34:19.359 but what we are down deep 00:34:16.398 --> 00:34:21.519 is a mass of desires that we neither 00:34:19.358 --> 00:34:24.000 choose nor control 00:34:21.519 --> 00:34:26.000 and human felicity simply exists in the 00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:28.398 satisfaction of these desires 00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:29.760 oxen are happy when you give them straw 00:34:28.398 --> 00:34:31.679 machiavelli is happy when you give them 00:34:29.760 --> 00:34:32.639 a government fundamentally there is no 00:34:31.679 --> 00:34:34.720 difference 00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:36.320 each animal gravitates towards its own 00:34:34.719 --> 00:34:37.838 appropriate object 00:34:36.320 --> 00:34:40.159 machiavelli 00:34:37.838 --> 00:34:41.679 in that respect is the is an ancient 00:34:40.159 --> 00:34:43.440 political theorist at the same same time 00:34:41.679 --> 00:34:45.519 a modern political theorist 00:34:43.440 --> 00:34:49.200 he represents nothing new in politics 00:34:45.519 --> 00:34:51.039 but rather an ever-present temptation 00:34:49.199 --> 00:34:53.358 it is always tempting 00:34:51.039 --> 00:34:55.599 for human beings to take the easy way 00:34:53.358 --> 00:34:57.920 out and decide that they're going to be 00:34:55.599 --> 00:34:59.119 meat that they're going to give up 00:34:57.920 --> 00:35:01.680 the attempt 00:34:59.119 --> 00:35:04.000 to kindle the divine spark which is what 00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:06.879 marcus aurelius called the soul 00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:09.199 called the disposition to moral virtue 00:35:06.880 --> 00:35:11.920 machiavelli doesn't want to climb 00:35:09.199 --> 00:35:14.399 what plato called the ladder of 00:35:11.920 --> 00:35:18.000 beauty in the symposium 00:35:14.400 --> 00:35:19.280 because he finds the world ugly 00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:20.719 violent 00:35:19.280 --> 00:35:22.320 and evil 00:35:20.719 --> 00:35:24.000 and he likes it 00:35:22.320 --> 00:35:26.960 so in other words not only does he know 00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:28.838 that he's in the cave but he thinks that 00:35:26.960 --> 00:35:32.240 any attempt to move out of the 00:35:28.838 --> 00:35:34.078 cave is a kind of letting down of nature 00:35:32.239 --> 00:35:35.039 it's an attempt to move away from nature 00:35:34.079 --> 00:35:37.839 towards 00:35:35.039 --> 00:35:40.559 some sort of shemerical poetic i know 00:35:37.838 --> 00:35:43.199 not what and machiavelli is the saint is 00:35:40.559 --> 00:35:45.679 a patron saint of all politicians who 00:35:43.199 --> 00:35:47.279 would be exclusively and immorally 00:35:45.679 --> 00:35:48.480 practical 00:35:47.280 --> 00:35:51.280 one of the great 00:35:48.480 --> 00:35:53.039 difficulties in evaluating machiavelli 00:35:51.280 --> 00:35:54.640 is to give him his due in other words to 00:35:53.039 --> 00:35:56.159 be intellectually fair fair to him 00:35:54.639 --> 00:35:58.078 because he is a great genius there's no 00:35:56.159 --> 00:35:59.358 way that we can honestly take that away 00:35:58.079 --> 00:36:02.800 from him 00:35:59.358 --> 00:36:05.279 but it's also a mistake to say that 00:36:02.800 --> 00:36:08.240 while he's a great genius 00:36:05.280 --> 00:36:09.280 we can in practice use this as a guide 00:36:08.239 --> 00:36:10.959 to life 00:36:09.280 --> 00:36:13.839 if people were to take this seriously 00:36:10.960 --> 00:36:15.358 and although god help us some of us do 00:36:13.838 --> 00:36:16.639 it would be a disaster for the social 00:36:15.358 --> 00:36:17.759 structure and it would be disaster for 00:36:16.639 --> 00:36:19.279 politics 00:36:17.760 --> 00:36:21.440 the difficulty is is that we seem to 00:36:19.280 --> 00:36:23.359 vacillate between one and the other when 00:36:21.440 --> 00:36:25.679 the better angels of our natures take 00:36:23.358 --> 00:36:27.920 over we can see how marcus aurelius is a 00:36:25.679 --> 00:36:30.319 fine politician and how plato offers us 00:36:27.920 --> 00:36:32.320 something real solid substantial in 00:36:30.320 --> 00:36:34.240 organizing our emotions organizing our 00:36:32.320 --> 00:36:35.920 lives organizing our standards of 00:36:34.239 --> 00:36:38.479 judgment the problem is that we tend to 00:36:35.920 --> 00:36:40.800 vacillate back and forth every once in a 00:36:38.480 --> 00:36:42.079 while when we think nobody's looking we 00:36:40.800 --> 00:36:44.800 have a sneaking suspicion that 00:36:42.079 --> 00:36:46.880 machiavelli may be right 00:36:44.800 --> 00:36:48.720 let him who is out who is without sin 00:36:46.880 --> 00:36:50.800 cast the first stone i think every one 00:36:48.719 --> 00:36:52.879 of us has done stuff that we knew was 00:36:50.800 --> 00:36:54.800 wrong at one time or another machiavelli 00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:56.480 is saying i wish to liberate you from 00:36:54.800 --> 00:36:58.480 the guilt of thinking that that is a 00:36:56.480 --> 00:37:00.320 mistake your mistake is in not doing 00:36:58.480 --> 00:37:02.559 that all the time 00:37:00.320 --> 00:37:04.480 do not succumb to the temptation 00:37:02.559 --> 00:37:06.639 to be an angel you have no chance of 00:37:04.480 --> 00:37:08.800 doing that you are meat 00:37:06.639 --> 00:37:10.480 you are meet with a rational soul but 00:37:08.800 --> 00:37:12.000 your rational soul is nothing that glows 00:37:10.480 --> 00:37:13.679 in the dark it's nothing metaphysical 00:37:12.000 --> 00:37:15.199 it's just the rational part of you that 00:37:13.679 --> 00:37:17.519 allows you to decide 00:37:15.199 --> 00:37:19.838 how to best satisfy your irrationally 00:37:17.519 --> 00:37:21.920 developed desires 00:37:19.838 --> 00:37:23.279 so machiavelli is a kind of standing 00:37:21.920 --> 00:37:25.280 temptation 00:37:23.280 --> 00:37:27.280 he is a great political genius and we 00:37:25.280 --> 00:37:29.040 must give the devil his due almost 00:37:27.280 --> 00:37:30.800 literally speaking 00:37:29.039 --> 00:37:32.639 but at the same time we have to 00:37:30.800 --> 00:37:34.400 understand the limitations of this 00:37:32.639 --> 00:37:35.759 limitation number one is it prevents us 00:37:34.400 --> 00:37:37.280 from being what we really are which is 00:37:35.760 --> 00:37:39.040 social animals 00:37:37.280 --> 00:37:40.400 a machiavellian would be unfit and 00:37:39.039 --> 00:37:42.079 subordinate and would be unfit as a 00:37:40.400 --> 00:37:43.680 superior nobody in his right mind would 00:37:42.079 --> 00:37:45.920 work for machiavelli or have machiavelli 00:37:43.679 --> 00:37:48.159 work form 00:37:45.920 --> 00:37:51.358 number two 00:37:48.159 --> 00:37:53.358 it is a denigration in some respects of 00:37:51.358 --> 00:37:56.239 human nature 00:37:53.358 --> 00:37:59.279 it is a cynical analysis of what people 00:37:56.239 --> 00:38:01.598 have done in worst case circumstances 00:37:59.280 --> 00:38:02.880 it is almost an entirely hopeless 00:38:01.599 --> 00:38:04.720 philosophy 00:38:02.880 --> 00:38:07.119 by rejecting the christian virtues of 00:38:04.719 --> 00:38:08.480 faith hope and charity well 00:38:07.119 --> 00:38:10.000 i suppose we might get by without 00:38:08.480 --> 00:38:12.240 charity i suppose in this case we might 00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:13.760 get by without faith but the problem 00:38:12.239 --> 00:38:15.439 with this philosophy that i think even 00:38:13.760 --> 00:38:16.960 bothers those who 00:38:15.440 --> 00:38:19.440 acknowledge its brilliance is that it is 00:38:16.960 --> 00:38:21.199 entirely hopeless philosophy what can we 00:38:19.440 --> 00:38:22.400 expect from the next government the same 00:38:21.199 --> 00:38:24.159 thing we can expect from this government 00:38:22.400 --> 00:38:25.920 which is that it will be rapacious that 00:38:24.159 --> 00:38:27.920 it will be treacherous that it will be 00:38:25.920 --> 00:38:30.079 evil and that it will be 00:38:27.920 --> 00:38:31.440 powerful and that it will dominate us 00:38:30.079 --> 00:38:33.680 the only way out of that merry-go-round 00:38:31.440 --> 00:38:38.240 is to dominate everyone else 00:38:33.679 --> 00:38:40.078 nature red in fang and claw enjoins us 00:38:38.239 --> 00:38:41.759 to make a meal of our own 00:38:40.079 --> 00:38:43.039 and joins us to become the wolf among 00:38:41.760 --> 00:38:44.480 the sheep 00:38:43.039 --> 00:38:46.400 and if we have 00:38:44.480 --> 00:38:48.000 both the inclination and the 00:38:46.400 --> 00:38:49.119 unwillingness to philosophize in the 00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:52.239 platonic 00:38:49.119 --> 00:38:53.680 sense then it seems to me that the only 00:38:52.239 --> 00:38:55.519 logical conclusion is the one that 00:38:53.679 --> 00:38:58.639 machiavelli draws 00:38:55.519 --> 00:39:00.719 so if you wish to go for the strictly 00:38:58.639 --> 00:39:02.559 physical strictly anti-metaphysical 00:39:00.719 --> 00:39:05.199 politics we're going to have a hard time 00:39:02.559 --> 00:39:06.880 connecting politics and ethics 00:39:05.199 --> 00:39:09.039 one of the great achievements of plato's 00:39:06.880 --> 00:39:11.440 republic is that politics turns out to 00:39:09.039 --> 00:39:13.519 be ethics writ large that what is good 00:39:11.440 --> 00:39:14.960 for the soul of the individual man the 00:39:13.519 --> 00:39:17.679 organization of the reasoning the 00:39:14.960 --> 00:39:19.440 spirited and the desiring parts it also 00:39:17.679 --> 00:39:22.078 turns out to be isomorphically good for 00:39:19.440 --> 00:39:24.480 the society because we will organize the 00:39:22.079 --> 00:39:26.160 rulers the rational folks at the top of 00:39:24.480 --> 00:39:27.838 society who will have the guardians 00:39:26.159 --> 00:39:28.960 their auxiliaries the spirited part and 00:39:27.838 --> 00:39:30.639 we'll have the bronze people at the 00:39:28.960 --> 00:39:32.960 bottom getting as many of their desires 00:39:30.639 --> 00:39:34.799 satisfied as possible for plato there's 00:39:32.960 --> 00:39:36.079 a one-to-one connection between politics 00:39:34.800 --> 00:39:37.200 and ethics 00:39:36.079 --> 00:39:39.200 that will be true of all the 00:39:37.199 --> 00:39:40.960 metaphysical thinkers also be true of 00:39:39.199 --> 00:39:42.719 the christians 00:39:40.960 --> 00:39:45.358 on the other hand 00:39:42.719 --> 00:39:47.439 if one wishes to adopt the single world 00:39:45.358 --> 00:39:49.759 entirely physicalistic interpretation of 00:39:47.440 --> 00:39:52.720 human life and of ontology and of 00:39:49.760 --> 00:39:54.960 politics of necessity there will be a 00:39:52.719 --> 00:39:56.319 disjunction between politics and ethics 00:39:54.960 --> 00:39:59.199 we will hear this again when we deal 00:39:56.320 --> 00:40:00.720 with david hume's theory of justice 00:39:59.199 --> 00:40:02.799 so if you wish 00:40:00.719 --> 00:40:05.118 politics to be moral 00:40:02.800 --> 00:40:08.318 if you complain that politicians take 00:40:05.119 --> 00:40:11.119 too many bribes and cut too many corners 00:40:08.318 --> 00:40:13.279 and are unwilling to do what they ought 00:40:11.119 --> 00:40:15.280 to do and meet their moral obligations 00:40:13.280 --> 00:40:17.280 you are implicitly making an argument 00:40:15.280 --> 00:40:19.280 which is founded on some sort of 00:40:17.280 --> 00:40:20.319 metaphysical conception no matter how in 00:40:19.280 --> 00:40:22.240 koat 00:40:20.318 --> 00:40:24.480 you might as well fess up to it now 00:40:22.239 --> 00:40:26.318 you're all metaphysical believers 00:40:24.480 --> 00:40:28.719 if you don't wish to be a metaphysical 00:40:26.318 --> 00:40:30.159 believer that's another possibility be 00:40:28.719 --> 00:40:33.039 careful you don't move down the slippery 00:40:30.159 --> 00:40:34.799 slope to machiavellianism because we 00:40:33.039 --> 00:40:36.880 move from the state of society to the 00:40:34.800 --> 00:40:39.599 state of nature and the nature that 00:40:36.880 --> 00:40:41.358 machiavelli has destined for us will be 00:40:39.599 --> 00:40:43.280 worse than any hell because it will be 00:40:41.358 --> 00:40:45.039 immediate and tangible and there's no 00:40:43.280 --> 00:40:47.760 way around it it's a necessary element 00:40:45.039 --> 00:40:49.838 in the human condition 00:40:47.760 --> 00:40:53.440 machiavelli offers us 00:40:49.838 --> 00:40:56.239 a secular substitute for salvation 00:40:53.440 --> 00:40:58.800 machiavelli offers us a chance 00:40:56.239 --> 00:41:00.399 for this worldly gratification 00:40:58.800 --> 00:41:03.920 and since there's no other world for us 00:41:00.400 --> 00:41:06.880 to go to no final judgment of god no 00:41:03.920 --> 00:41:09.599 ultimate moral order this is the best 00:41:06.880 --> 00:41:12.480 that the human species can attain 00:41:09.599 --> 00:41:15.119 the homeric virtues the military virtues 00:41:12.480 --> 00:41:17.280 the treacherous political virtues 00:41:15.119 --> 00:41:18.960 those elements of 00:41:17.280 --> 00:41:20.400 roman history which are the most 00:41:18.960 --> 00:41:22.880 disgraceful 00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:25.039 and the most appalling machiavelli 00:41:22.880 --> 00:41:27.280 wishes to raises those to the status of 00:41:25.039 --> 00:41:28.800 universal human 00:41:27.280 --> 00:41:31.680 felicity 00:41:28.800 --> 00:41:35.119 and unusual well perhaps not an unusual 00:41:31.679 --> 00:41:38.078 unnecessary but lamentable temptation 00:41:35.119 --> 00:41:40.720 and insofar as we wish to avoid that 00:41:38.079 --> 00:41:41.760 we must go back and think about the idea 00:41:40.719 --> 00:41:44.078 of 00:41:41.760 --> 00:41:45.599 politics and ethics 00:41:44.079 --> 00:41:48.400 the implications that it holds for 00:41:45.599 --> 00:41:50.559 ontology because it implies metaphysics 00:41:48.400 --> 00:41:52.720 the implications that metaphysics have 00:41:50.559 --> 00:41:54.159 for our conception of the rest of 00:41:52.719 --> 00:41:57.118 philosophy and the way in which 00:41:54.159 --> 00:41:58.559 knowledge holds ethics virtue 00:41:57.119 --> 00:41:59.599 and 00:41:58.559 --> 00:42:02.000 human 00:41:59.599 --> 00:42:04.240 experience together the way it connects 00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:06.239 our conception of the individual soul 00:42:04.239 --> 00:42:07.358 and political 00:42:06.239 --> 00:42:09.118 order 00:42:07.358 --> 00:42:10.880 and the way 00:42:09.119 --> 00:42:13.599 in which our own lives would be 00:42:10.880 --> 00:42:16.400 influenced by a decision to either 00:42:13.599 --> 00:42:18.559 succumb to the lure of this world 00:42:16.400 --> 00:42:21.760 or to take the chance 00:42:18.559 --> 00:42:24.318 that another better one awaits us 00:42:21.760 --> 00:42:26.560 it is not a decidable proposition 00:42:24.318 --> 00:42:28.400 machiavelli wishes to offer us one 00:42:26.559 --> 00:42:31.838 possible solution to the set of 00:42:28.400 --> 00:42:31.838 intellectual difficulties 00:42:49.358 --> 00:42:51.440 you