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Introduction
Niccolò Machiavelli is considered one of the most influential political thinkers of his age. He was a statesman in Florence and wanted to achieve success and power in politics. Due to his broad interest and knowledge of the topic, Machiavelli observed the ways other politicians obtained power and gained success. Hence, he summarized his observations and conclusion and synthesized the book called The Prince . In it, he described the way a ruler should approach authority and governance in order to be successful. The book had a massive influence on political, philosophical, and psychological thought. Hence, the essay compares how Machiavellis perceptions of political power are compared to the modern theories and definitions of power. Many of the ideas expressed by the Florence scholar remain to be relevant in the present day.
Power in The Prince by Machiavelli
Power is a complex concept elaborated by Machiavelli in The Prince . There is no direct definition that would describe it, however, power remains to be the central theme of the book. First of all, political power is the primary objective of any ruler who wants to be successful. Here, the term power refers to the ability of the ruler to affect his subordinates, competitors, enemies, and the people to his will. Leaders want to obtain power and use it as a tool for influencing the world around them. Those who are not powerful cannot have any effect on others and cannot resist the influence of those who use power against them.
The concept of power has been deeply integrated into studies of political sociology and political science. In political sociology, power has been discussed and developed by early scholars such as Karl Marx and Max Weber. Those theorists identify different sources of power and the different role it plays in politics. Marxs theory centers around the economic aspects of sociology, therefore for him power is an essential part of the economic system (Dobratz et al., 2012). In this context, power represents the scope of material resources that one can use to exercise power over those who do not possess the same amount of resources. On the contrary, Weber focused on both economic and non-economic dimensions and connected sources of power with social institutions, bureaucracies, and organizations (Janoski et al., 2005). The modern definition of power in political sociology is provided by Dobratz, Waldner, and Buzzell (2012, p. 3) who define is as an individual, group, or structural capacity to achieve intended effects as a result of force, influence, or authority . Therefore, over time, the concept became more inclusive and represented the abilities of individuals or groups.
The connection between society and politics provides a dimension, where different types of power can be identified. As such, these types include coercive and dominant power, authority and legitimate power, and interdependent power (Dobratz et al., 2012). This goes beyond the concept of the state and its manifestations, which broadens the understanding of power itself. The coercive and dominant type of power is represented by authoritarian or totalitarian dictatorships that suppress competition with an aim of total submission. Authoritarian and legitimate type of power includes traditional, charismatic, and rational-legal authority which relies on non-economic concepts such as a sense of duty, customs, or obedience to legal regulations (Dobratz et al., 2012). It can be represented by the examples of police who can exercise continuous power as citizens silently obey to the laws that the police protect. Finally, the interdepended type of power refers to the way power is maintained not only by those how to possess resources or control them but by those who are integrated into the social system and rely on it (Dobratz et al., 2012). Hence, the more people are connected to the system of power, the more power this system operates.
Despite the fact that Niccolo Machiavelli lived in XV-XVI centuries and his work The Prince was written in 1513 and published in 1532, the ideas expressed in it resemble some of the modern definitions and concepts. One of the major similarities between the modern sociology and the perception of leadership and politics by Machiavelli is the fact that the concept of power is central. Although the modern understanding of power has broadened since the times of The Prince , one of the modern definitions of power matches with Machiavellis understanding. Both Machiavelli and Dobratz et al. agree that power is the capability of a governor or a group of leaders to establish their influence and affect the people they govern, their enemies, and achieve their goals. In addition, the key principle in which the power is exercised in The Prince correlates with the coercive and dominant type of power described by modern political sociology. In Chapter V about the way to govern annexed cities, Machiavelli writes: so that the safest way is to destroy them or to reside there. (Machiavelli, 1513). Hence, same as in dictatorships, the best way to exercise power and ensure its longevity is to destroy other powers and achieve their full submission.
However, modern political sociology had broadened the understanding of power, which represents six centuries of history and political development that had passed since the times of The Prince . As such, the development of liberal and democratic principles in governing imposed new types of power such as the interdependence type. In it, rulers manage to exercise and strengthen their powers not through destruction and suppression, but through enforcing integrated mechanisms that make powerless elements of the system depend on it. As a result, those elements would willingly contribute to the maintenance of power by the ruler. On the contrary, a Machiavellian model is much more person-oriented, which led to the emergence of the term Machiavellianism described as the extreme type of narcissism. This is a personality behavior that deceives and exploits other people for the purpose of achieving a personal goal. They perceive people to object of use and manipulation. Hence, the interdependency system can be considered a continuation of the idea that was initially expressed by Niccolo Machiavelli in The Prince .
Conclusion
In conclusion, the comparison between the modern concepts of power and the one represented in the book The Prince by Machiavelli provides an insight into the evolution of the political, philosophical, and sociological thought. There are similarities in the way modern political theorists and scholars place power in the center of the political system same as Machiavelli did. In addition, The Prince showcases how complex the methods of the pursuit for power can be. Although the governmental systems have evolved over the course of centuries, the complex nature of power accusation and maintenance has not changed in its essence. Such statement can be supported by the interdependency types of power that utilize sophisticated mechanisms to maintain the influence of the ruler indirectly. Therefore, The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli is one of the most influential books on the political theory and philosophy that remains relevant to this day.
References
Dobratz, B.A., Waldner, L. K., & Buzzell, T. (2012). Power, politics, and society: An introduction to Political Sociology. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Janoski, T., Alford R., Hicks, A., & Schwartz, M.A. (Eds.). (2005). Handbook of Political Sociology: States, civil societies, and globalization. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Machiavelli, N. (1993). The prince (1513). Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions.
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