J.R. Hale, Machiavelli

      According to J.R. Hale, Machiavelli was the first political thinker to discuss politics as a public responsibility which could not afford to operate according to the rules that governed private morality. In the Prince, how does Machiavelli justify a political leader’s deceit, cruelty, and violation of treatise and alliances? Do you find his justifications persuasive? Why or why not? Explain. Finally, in your judgment, does a public official have to be “Machiavellian” to succeed in contemporary politics? Why or why not? Discuss.