Niccolo Machiavelli — Philosophical Quotes

253 quotes · Political Philosopher, Historian

Page 12 of 22

Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes

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Niccolo Machiavelli

Political Philosopher, Historian

Philosophical

“Men are less hesitant about harming someone who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared because love is held together by a chain of obligation which, since men are wretched creatures, is broken on every occasion in which their own interests are concerned; but fear is sustained by dread of punishment which will never abandon you.”

Men Love Is Broken

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Niccolo Machiavelli

Political Philosopher, Historian

Philosophical

“There are three kinds of minds: first those that attain insight and understanding of things by their own means, then those that recognize what is right when others explain it to them, and finally those that are capable of neither one nor the other.”

Mean Mind Understanding

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Philosophical

“Prudence therefore consists in knowing how to distinguish degrees of disadvantage.”

Knowing Degrees Disadvantages

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Philosophical

“Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.”

Philosophy Philosophical

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Philosophical

“For one change always leaves a dovetail into which another will fit.”

Fit

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Philosophical

“Whoever takes it upon himself to establish a commonwealth and prescribe laws must presuppose all men naturally bad, and that they will yield to their innate evil passions as often as they can do so with safety.”

Men Passion Yield

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Philosophical

“The nature of man is such that people consider themselves put under an obligation as much by the benefits they confer as by those they receive.”

Men Art War

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Philosophical

“That prince is highly esteemed who conveys this impression of himself, and he who is highly esteemed is not easily conspired against; for, provided it is well known that he is an excellent man and revered by his people, he can only be attacked with difficulty.”

Men Art War

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Philosophical

“The innovator has for enemies all who have done well under the old, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new.”

May Done Enemy

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Philosophical

“For as laws are necessary that good manners may be preserved, so there is need of good manner that laws may be maintained. [It., Perche, cosi come i buoni costumi, per mantenersi, hanno bisogno delli leggi; cosi le leggi per ossevarsi, hanno bisogno de' buoni costumi.]”

Law May Good Man

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Philosophical

“Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated, but it is very necessary to appear to have them. And I shall dare to say this also, that to have them and always to observe them is injurious, and that to appear to have them is useful; to appear merciful, faithful, humane, religious, upright, and to be so, but with a mind so framed that should you require not to be so, you may be able and know how to change to the opposite.”

Religious Opposites Faithful

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Philosophical

“It may be observed, that provinces amid the vicissitudes to which they are subject, pass from order into confusion, and afterward recur to a state of order again; for the nature of mundane affairs not allowing them to continue in an even course, when they have arrived at their greatest perfection, they soon begin to decline.”

Art War Order

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