The Prince

by Niccolo Machiavelli

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The tables have turned and the teacher is now the student.  I think it is great.  For Christmas, Adam, now a junior in college after having been homeschooled his whole life, gave me a political phylosophy class.  He is the professor.  This is his major and his love of study.  The syllabus included the reading and study of three books:  "The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli, "The Second Treatise of Government" by John Locke, and "The Federalist Papers" by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. I also have to write papers periodically.  My first book and paper was on "The Prince".  Machiavelli is not an easy read.  I stumbled through it with much direction and discussion with my professor, and I learned a lot.  My writing assignment was to make "The Prince" relevant to me and my life in the 21st century.  Since I an a mother and that is my career, I used "The Prince" as a parenting guide.  It was admittedly not the best parenting guide ever written.  The application is much more relevant to running a country, but it certainly had some points worth considering. 

It is a political classic, considered the first political philosophy book.  Anyone who is interested in government should take some time to read it.  I included the first paragraph of my final paper on this book just because.  Hope you like it.  (I got an A- on the entire paper!)

            The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli, continues to have modern relevance and application in the 21^st  century.  One can certainly apply many of his philosophies to the modern day parent.  After all, parenting is the quintessential leadership position.  “He who rocks the cradle rules the world”.  Although not all that Machiavelli had to say could be directly applied to parenthood, he does make some very valid and powerful points that a parent interested in raising well-behaved contributing members of society would be wise to understand and to emulate.  Parenting in the recent century has become a lost art, and parents too often flounder trying to buy their children’s love and happiness, or else refrain from being disciplinarians because of their need to be friendly with their children.  They forget the relationship that is their responsibility of leadership within the family.  The Prince is the original leadership training handbook.  Machiavelli addresses liberality versus parsimony, cruelty versus mercy, and the role of laws and force.  He also advises one on how to avoid creating hate or contempt in carrying out your responsibilities as a leader and how to place yourself in a position to be held in esteem by your children.

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