Evaluate Machiavelli's account of therelations between ethics and politics

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Evaluate Machiavelli’s account of the

relations between ethics and politics.

        From the beginning of the foundation of organized society many philosophers, political theorists, scientists, psychologists, and others have tried to give definitions to the words like power, society, and the means of rule or politics. For many centuries the human mind was changing very rapidly, so were the definitions. Most of the clashes between the ideologists were on the bases of ethics, morality, accessibility and limitation of freedom, and the power of few or more. The evolution of political ideology was accepting different forms and kinds.

One of the political theorists that have tried to give an account for the relations between politics and ethics was Niccolo Machiavelli. During his lifetime and even now, he is considered as one of the extremist political theorists. The reason for this kind of thought was the morality that Machiavelli was bringing to political theory while tackling the questions of keeping the power, legitimate politics, religion vs. politics and morality of the ruler.

In The Prince Machiavelli considers politics autonomously, as the independent area of human activity having its own purposes and the laws, which are not by any means bound by moral behavior, however, it would have been incorrect to consider political doctrine that he suggests as the sermon of immorality. Moral reasons In The Prince are always subordinated to the purposes of politics. The Florentine secretary declares good all that promotes strengthening of the state. He addresses his praises to those politicians who use all of the political means including the means of a deceit, cunnings, insidiousness and the open violence in order to achieve success.

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        The Prince of Machiavelli is a smart politician, who can put into practice correct political decisions, which will lead to the achievement of the purpose of the political success. He realizes that it is impossible to have all the qualities that will condemn him in the eyes of citizens. So a prince has of necessity to be so prudent that he know how to escape the evil reputation attached to those vices which could lose him his state, and how to avoid those vices which are not so dangerous, if he possibly can; but, if he cannot, he need not ...

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