Modern Political Thought: Machiavelli's The Prince

• What is the role/significance of Fortuna in the Prince?
• Why does Machiavelli focus so much on this concept (both explicitly and implicitly), and what does it mean for political thought?
• What is the resultant ‘virtu’ all about?
• Can we connect Machiavelli’s beliefs about virtuosity to the present day?

Chapter XXV – How Far Human Affairs are Governed by Fortune, and How Fortune can be Opposed:

-         Role of Fortuna/fortune is to act as a force that controls half of a man’s actions. The other half is controlled by free will. (Example: Chapter VII, princes who become so purely by good fortune).

-         Machiavelli sees Fortuna as a woman, “if she is to be submissive it is necessary to beat and coerce her”.

-         He believes that fortune shows its power when there are no restraints against it, and that only men that adapt can prevent it from resulting in a negative way (foresight).

-         Cassirer (1946) & Chabod (1958) believe Machiavelli uses fortune as a ‘half mythical power’ when he can’t explain the events in terms of reason/ logicality. {Edwards & Townshend}

-         Sasso (1952) believes fortune is simply a limitation in human nature which denies men control of various situations.

-         Olschki (1945) sees fortune as an abstract, secular concept, representing the passive conditions for political success.

-         Resultant ‘virtu’, from Olschki’s view, is the active counterpart of political success. Both fortune and virtu are technical terms of a rational system of political thought.

-         Chapter VI p. 20 – fortune provides the opportunity but virtu enables you to take advantage of that opportunity. Need to have both for political success.

-         Fortune and ‘virtu’ are linked – ‘virtu’ is displayed as a countervailing force (the characteristics used to control the other half of our lives, and often, oppose fortune).

-         Raises the question of political virtue – the characteristics necessary for political success.

-         Villari interprets virtu as the sense of courage/energy for both good and evil. E.g. Chapter XXIII p.57.

-         Wood (1967) sees virtu as a militaristic trait, claiming that Machiavelli transfers to politics the behaviour of soldiers in battle. (Sees politics and war as linked – Chapter XIV).

-         Pitkin (1984) sees virtu as a ‘masculine’ concept, denoting energy, effectiveness, force, ability. For him, the antithesis of virtu is fortuna – explicitly a woman favouring young bold men who must keep her in order.

-         Especially taking Villari and Wood’s interpretation of virtu, it can be used in the present day.

-         Depends which interpretation of virtu is taken from Machiavelli’s work.