Chapter 15: Popularity & Efficiency

In chapter XV in ‘The Prince’: ‘Of the means which men, and especially princes, win applause, or incur censure’ Machiavelli describes in what manner a prince should conduct himself towards his subjects and his allies. The manner in which men live is so different from the way in which they ought to live, that he who only considers how men ought to live will find that it leads him to ruin. A man who, in all respects, will only carry out his professions of good will be ruined amongst so many who are evil. A prince therefore who desires to maintain himself must learn to be not always good, but to be so or not as necessity may require. Nor need he care about incurring censure for vices, without which the preservation of his state may be difficult.

To what extent do Machiavelli’s thoughts apply to the roles and responsibilities of modern leaders from different countries, cultures and trades? What is the balance between popularity and the willingness to carry out unpopular initiatives?

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Participants:
  Poul Nyrup Rasmussen
  Mads Øvlisen
  Jørgen Vig Knudstorp
  Bengt Baron
  Dr. Ulrich Bez
  Michael S. Dukakis
  Lynda Curtis
  Tony Visconti