Abstract
The three chapters we have from The Prince are good to understand Machiavelli's thought; they comprise advice's he gives to rulers in order to maintain their power. In this text, we understand the essence of his reflection: Princes should choose to be feared rather than to be loved if they want to preserve their power.
In the chapter 15, Machiavelli insists on the way the Prince should act with his citizens if he wants to "flourish". He speaks about the reasons rulers may be blamed or praised. According to him, a Prince has to be realist: he doesn't mind about what should be done, and does what is generally done if he wants his own preservation. In Machiavelli's opinion, a Prince cannot always act honorably; he must be able to do immoral things if necessary. Indeed, he explains that a ruler cannot have all the praiseworthy qualities: such man has vices that may help him to govern in a good way whereas being virtuous may lead to ruin.
In the chapter 17, Machiavelli wonders if it is better for a Prince to be feared or loved. First, he states that the Prince sometimes has to be cruel (rather than merciful) if we wants to maintain order. Indeed, he explains that if a Prince is too merciful, this can lead to disorder, and crimes may be generated because of this chaos. By this way, the Prince's cruelty is not really a serious matter because by being harsh with a very few, the Prince avoid disorder and killings.
