Introduction to Common People in Prince
Generally, Machiavelli is considered the pioneer in suggesting pragmatic pieces of advice to dictators that is why it seems interesting to see common people in The Prince. He has also shed light on the character of the common people who are the ultimate subjects, and play an important role in the formation of governments and consolidation of the powers of the princes and dictators. His views are drastically opposed to the humanists of the Renaissance era who gave more importance to the general public, but his views are contained within the powers and authorities a prince wields, exploiting the common people. His comprehension of the character of the common people is devoid of any religious values or morality prevailing at that time. It is because he, in fact, is a political theorist and not a literary writer like Chaucer who has pointed out idiosyncrasies and flaws in the general dealings of his characters in his famous “The Canterbury Tales”. Most of his views are generalities based on his own observation of the people as a crowd to be governed and brought under the authority of law. According to him, human beings or common people are both good and unruly based on their circumstances whether it is peace or chaos. He has used the specific term “plebe” for the common people and the role of the prince is to exploit his plebe to serve his own interests, not theirs. In fact, the welfare and attitude or behavior of the people are to be manipulated for good governance to keep the prince in power. In order to understand the plebs better, Machiavelli has divided the plebs into two distinct groups; the nobles and the common people in The Prince. However, he has counted the nobles within the common people as slightly different and observed the role and character of the commoners as a political entity with some drawbacks and qualities based on circumstantial necessities.
Sections of Common People in The Prince
Machiavelli’s’ common people comprises of a division of the society into two distinct sections; the nobles and the plebs or general populace. He sheds light on the interaction which is between the nobles and their own local subjects that is that “each [noble] acknowledge and loved by his own subjects” (Chapter 4) by which he means that the nobles should be controlled first by the prince to control the common people. He also points out that there is always a difference within this social structure in which the character of the common people is very important. It is because “common people don’t want to be ruled or ordered around by nobles” (Chapter-9) which means that if there is dissatisfaction among the common people against the nobles, this means there is a way for the prince to exploit this character of the common people to his own end. The advice for the prince is from the point of view of the common people because it is hard to satisfy the nobles but it is easy for the prince because he “can satisfy the people without harming anyone” (Chapter-9) the reason which he says is that because “what the nobles want is to oppress the people” (Chapter-9). In this connection, he goes in the favor of the people due to their having few desires. He also warns the prince against these nobles, as they are more prone to harming and attacking him. However, practically, he can secure his position among them easily, but when it comes to the common people, as they are multitudes, they are “of a threat than the nobles” (Chapter-9). It is also that in this conflict between the nobles and the common people in the Prince, the common people are always winders because of their numbers and the real stability of the state lies within them not in the nobles. Therefore, the sane advice for both is that if the state is to be stable, the character of both of these sections should be understood. It means wise princes “have taken every care not to drive the nobles to desperation and to keep the common people satisfied and contented” (Chapter-9) which means understanding each one of these sections is vital. Although as a section of the same people, nobles are easy to gather around, Machiavelli demonstrates his disgust for this section. He is of the view that they are always greedy for positions, eager to oppress and seek their own interests instead of the prince. His comments on this section, actually, make his views about the character of the common people clear that if you “arm your people, you man those arms yours” (Chapter-11) which means that it is the empowerment of the common people in The Prince instead of the upper strata that he wishes to propound.
Political Common People in The Prince
However, as a political entity, he has also presented his acute understanding of the inherent good and bad qualities of the common people. These common qualities are generally considered within the framework of the principality, as to how these contribute to its stability and how these make a person unstable and weak. As for his opinion about the character of the common people, he refers to men saying “they are ungrateful, fickle, deceptive, cowardly and greedy” (Chapter-17) adding that they only seek their own interests “as long as you are doing them good, they are entirely yours; they will offer you their blood, their property, their lives, and their children” (Chapter-17). However, this entirely depends on the prince how to make the people show this good side of their character. He means that as they are inherently good, they also want something good in return for these offerings. However, if there is none, they turn against the prince and the ruler. Again it depends on their position and the role of the people. If the common people have been taken as mercenaries, he says, “they are disunited, ambitious, undisciplined and disloyal” (Chapter-12) when they see that there is danger. However, when they see that there is some gain, the same lot is courageous and friendly. It is up to the prince or the ruler to keep them united by showing them what they are impressed by the most, as he states that the common people are “always impressed by appearances and outcomes, and the world contained only common people” (Chapter-18). The best course in this connection is to bring a parliament to win their favor. Hence, the role and character of the common people as a political entity are very important, and a good and sagacious prince knows how to manipulate this major power entity in order to consolidate his own power by offering appearances by constituting a parliament and making them see their own good.
Understanding of Common People in The Prince
However, what his understanding of the common people shows is that in his views they are simpletons and easy to be deceived, as he advises his prince to be a deceptive person as well. His view is that it is the nature of the common people to be “impressed by appearances and outcomes” (Chapter-18). He means that they are easy to be misled by the false appearances of the good things to come. This means that they are unable to discern what lies ahead for them. Therefore, they cannot be entrusted to be advisors, nobles, or ministers. However, some of them are intelligent and the prince can choose them with care and precaution. This does not mean that the character of the common people has changed. Their role as the harbinger of stable and solid governance is a sure way to become a good and powerful prince. A popular prince, according to Machiavelli, just knows the character of the common people and should know how to lead them, how to show them bravery, how to show courage and boldness, and how to encourage them. It is because ultimately, it is they who are to solidify his power, and their character judgment in this connection is manipulated by him. He states that “a prince must have the friendly people” (Chapter-9), and it is the role of the prince to mold their character into a friendly one through his actions toward them as shown through common people in The Prince.
Simplicity of Common People in The Prince
Despite being simpletons and easily led astray, Machiavelli has also listed several qualities of the people that can prove an asset for the stability of the state. This shows his in-depth understanding of the character of the common people in The Prince during those eras. He is of the view that the common people are more prudent in having sound judgment. They want peace and the status quo in order to flourish. When there is discontent, their role is prominent but during peace times, they want to enjoy life. Therefore, there are two things dear to them; their property and their women. People often forget some injury or cruelty against them, but they never forget these two wounds. He states that a ruler must “keeps his hands off people’s property, because a man forgets the death of his father sooner than he would forget the loss of property his father left to him” (Chapter-17). If this is done, then the people start becoming discontented and this changes their overall character and role. They become hostile toward the prince and the state. He also states that freedom is very important to the common people. If they are habitual of living in servitude, then it does not matter. However, once they have tasted the freedom, they will never “forget their former freedom” (Chapter-5) in which case their character has been hardened, and they will prove a grave danger.
Conclusion
In short, his proposition in suggesting such a diverse role and character of the common people in The Prince is that he wants his prince to solidify the foundations of his state, and none else could replace the role of the common people. Hence he has put the common people in contrast to the nobles who are, though of sound judgment and generally shrewd, highly dangerous for a state. Therefore, his logic about the role of the people by analyzing their character is suitable for the princes and their stable governments. If they are given a good leader, who is the prince, they are irresistible and prove assets during foreign onslaughts or any adverse circumstances. These common people often prove stronger and fearless in the defense of the state than the nobles as they have more at stake. In addition, they love peace and calmness more than general instability as they have more at stake than the nobles do even in these circumstances. Therefore, to keep the government and the state stable, their temperament and behavior count very much, and a sagacious prince needs to understand this temperament in changing circumstances. It is also that if the people are satisfied and there is perfect peace, it serves the interests of the price and consolidates the establishment of laws, statutes, and institutions. More peace and prosperity bring more people into governance, which further strengthens the institutions and leads to the power of the prince. Therefore, the character of the people in consolidating the power of the prince as a political entity is a very important one. They do not demand much as opposed to lords and nobles but very little that is the absence of oppression and promises of a good future.
Works Cited
Relevant Questions about Common People in The Prince by Machiavelli
- How does Machiavelli characterize the relationship between a ruler and the Common People in The Prince?
- What specific strategies does Machiavelli advocate in The Prince for securing the support or control of the Common People in The Prince, and what are the implications of these strategies?
- In The Prince, how does Machiavelli’s guidance on handling Common People in The Prince reflect the broader themes of political realism and pragmatism in his philosophy of leadership?