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What Would Machiavelli Do?

On the meaning of virt in everyday affairs

Phil 414J: Renaissance Philosophy Dr. Tamara Albertini

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Official assignment: 5) Identify at least three different meanings of virt in Machiavelli's The Prince and analyze carefully the context in which the term appears. What does virt tell us about Machiavelli's notion of human nature? Why does he think he can operate without an ethics? (Quote your virt-passages in the beginning of your paper. )

Page 2 Allione 2 Abstract Below is a case for integrating Machiavellianism into nearly all daily interaction. This paper will argue that the simple question What would Machiavelli do? is important enough to qualify as a frequent and daily philosophic move. This is not a parody of Christian ethics and it will also be argued that What would Kant/Jesus do? complements the question of whether Machiavelli would approve. This paper is slightly biased with the presumption that Machiavelli is neither amoral nor a villain, but instead literally a noble and virtuous hero. This paper will focus on Machiavelli's use of the Italian word virt and how a constant reminder of how the power being this idea can improve the quality of anyone's life, regardless of their situation. Via the process of inspiration, it follows that it can improve the quality of lifeor at the very least the performanceof nearly everyone that individual comes in contact with.

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This art [the art of war] has such potency [virt], that not only does it ensure that those who are born princes remain princes, but it often enables men of humble rank to rise to that position. By contrast, it is noticeable that when princes have paid more attention to luxuries than to arms, they have lost their states. Loss of state results primarily from neglecting this art, whilst being 1 proficient in it will lead to the acquisition of state. Severus... had such personal ability and strength [virt] that in keeping the soldiers friendly towards him he was always able to reign happily, despite the fact that he oppressed the people. His personal abilities [virt] made him so impressive in the eyes of both the soldiers and the people, that the latter remained dumbfounded and stupefied, and the former respectful and 2 satisfied. But let us turn to Commodus, who found it very easy to hold on to the Empire, for being the son of Marcus, he inherited it by right. All he had to do was follow in his father's footsteps and both the soldiers and the people would have been satisfied. But as he was cruel and brutal by nature, he sought to please the armies and make them dissolute in order to practise his rapaciousness on the people. In addition, he did not maintain his dignity, often descending into the arenas to fight the gladiators and do other base things not worthy of his imperial majesty, and so became contemptible in the soldiers' eyes. As he was hated by one side and despised by 3 the other, he was conspired against and killed. To have virt is to have skill, wit, wisdom, strength, and most importantly, a bearing of
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greatness. By combining virtue and virt, one can rally up allies or inspire others with little effort. With that combination, one can rally up allies or inspire others with little effort. This is why Marcelo Ficino is wrong to say that people always have disdain for rulers in his Platonic Theology:

We have also said that man strives to rule over himself and all other creatures, men as well as animals; and that he is unable to bear any kind of slavery. Even if he is forced to serve, he hates his lord, since he serves against his nature. In everything he strives with all his strength to overcome others; and he is ashamed to be defeated even in small matters and the most trifling 4 games, as if this were against the natural dignity of man. A leader who bears greatness such as the mythical Achilles will gain a proud following. However, a leader who fails to impress his following will undoubtedly face the problem of controlling an unhappy flock, therefore lending truth to Ficino's words. When every decision is treated with importance mundane events turned into brushstrokes.
The Prince: ch. 13, p. 86. The Prince: ch. 19, p. 104. 3 The Prince; ch. 19, p. 106. 4 Excerpt from an article in a 200 Art History class at SUNY Oneonta: Renaissance Conceptions of 'Man'.
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Page 4 Allione 4 Suppose someone distracts you from an important task and damages your concentration by doing so. Do you tell him/her about it if you know that it wont do any good or change anything? It's not clear until you ask yourself, What would Machiavelli do? The evaluation that unfolds from this question points toward maximizing fortune or security since preparations during successful/peaceful times ensure that difficult/warlike times can be endured; fortune is often relevant to necessity because a prince must keep an eye toward fortune so that wartime can be endured. However, whining or complaining over a petty grievance will likely arouse annoyance instead of pity and backfire with harsh counterproductive results. This is why a prince must never retaliate from injuries softly: better to take no action at all. In most cases, articulating the damage from an injury caused from a petty grievance is not useful because the damage to ones own dignity from looking weak would not outweigh the possible feeling from the other of owing a small favor as an expression of apology or pity. The bottom line is that a consultation of Machiavellian wisdom will reveal that complaining is not useful and only satisfies a temporary sense of revenge; the grievance would not be articulated unless there was a good reason, otherwise the only change that would be brought about is a loss of dignity which clearly is not useful.
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it would be

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To help this question become more accurate to the one raising it, it's important to note that Machiavelli was in fact a noble and benevolent man in his everyday affairs.

But Machiavelli was not the simple exemplar of evil, the so-called Anti-Christ that many called him. He may have preached pragmatics instead of ethics, but he knew better. And in many aspects of his personal life, he was better. He acknowledged normal, humanistic ethics assumed by the Church and others of his day. In fact he was the first to really differentiate "private" ethics from "public" ethics. In his consulting of political leaders he emphasized "public" ethics, the kind of pragmatic ethics that would lead to success. In his own life, he practiced normal or "private" ethics--a more humane, caring, principled version of ethics. An example of 'public' ethics: willingness to kill while serving in an army, whereas killing would not be ethical in one's private life. Often said Machiavelli, in order for an institution to survive and thrive, one must resort to public or expedience ethics. A similar testimony was provided by the prominent philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Machiavelli was a gentleman and a good citizen; but being attached to the house of Medici, he was forced during the oppression of his country to disguise his love of liberty.
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However the most famous defender of

The Prince: ch. 8, p. 68. Ethical Communication: Moral Stances in Human Dialogue. Machiavelli Pragmatic Realism. John C. Merrill. 70. 7 The Prince: Machiavelli and his critics: p. 136. [Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract, trans. M. Cranston
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(Harmondsworth, 1984), p. 118. The extract is a note added by Rousseau to his 1782 edition.]

Page 5 Allione 5 Machiavelli in a moral and humanistic light was the famous philosopher of history Hegel who justified his violent examples by providing the historical context of Italy being in its darkest hour:

In that unfortunate period when Italy hastened towards its ruin and was the battlefield in those wars which foreign princes fought over its territories, it both furnished the resources of the wars and was itself the prize for victory. It entrusted its own defence to assassination, poison, and treason, or to hordes of foreign rabble Germans Spaniards, French, and Swiss plundered the country, and foreign cabinets decided the fate of the nation. Deeply conscious of this state of universal misery, hatred, upheaval, and blindness, an Italian statesman, with cool deliberation, grasped the necessary idea of saving Italy by uniting it into a single state. With rigorous logic, he mapped out the way forward which both the countrys salvation and the corruption and blind folly of the age made necessary, and [assumed] the exalted role of the savior of Italy. Hegel continued to mourn the current misconception of Machiavellisomething that still stands two hundred years later todayby saying that The very name of Machiavelli carries with it the guarantee
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of disapproval in public opinion. Also that Even Machiavellis basic aim of raising Italy to statehood is misconstrued by those who are short-sighted enough to regard his work as no more than a foundation for tyranny or a golden mirror for an ambitious oppressor.
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Anyone familiar with Hegel knows that he is extremely reluctant to make a strong claim and has written entire books
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in which he only makes the faintest claims when necessary, thereby keeping

the interpretation as open-ended as possible so that the end result is intellectual nourishment and speculative insight for the reader. For him to make definitive claims about history means that he has meticulously pored over the facts and considered even the remotest angles. Therefore, we should take his analysis of the historical context seriously, which is precisely his point: One must study the history of the centuries before Machiavelli and of Italy during his times, and then read The Prince in the light of these impressions, and it will appear not only as justified, but as a distinguished and truthful conception produced by a genuinely political mind of the highest and noblest sentiments. Machiavelli, his highest and noblest sentiment was protecting his circle of responsibility. His garden in Prato, Tuscany was a Renaissance sanctuary where generals, princes, and scholars alike sat under ancient trees with the common goal of renewing ancient ideas. But ultimately, Machiavelli was not Machiavellian enough and could not withstand the Spanish forces which sacked Prato and ended his
Hegel. Political Writings. The German Constitution. P. 80. Ibid. P. 81. 10 Ibid. 11 Most notably Phenomenology of Spirit but also his trilogy on the Encyclopedia of the Philosophical Sciences in which
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For

his tone is mostly subjunctive and explorative as he explores the nature of logic, judgment, and being. Across his works, his strongest claims are related to history, but are always rooted in thorough and exhaustive supporting analysis. 12 Hegel. Political Writings. The German Constitution.. P. 82.

Page 6 Allione 6 political career as well as ending many great potential Renaissance debates that never got to come into being. Even if Machiavelli, as a human being, was not as noble as his highly credible supporters claimed (e.g., Rousseau and Hegel), the potential merit of his philosophy should not be poisoned ad hominem by the controversial deeds of the person. Even more importantly, the philosophy should not be judged by its alleged followers, i.e., the Machiavellians. This point is well articulated in an introduction to the Communist Manifesto: Can Marx, who sometimes did suggest imposing the new order by force, be blamed for Communist totalitarianism? Can a visionary be held responsible for his followers actions many years later?... Would the Man who gave the Sermon on the Mount really have
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favored the Spanish Inquisition? The question begs a negative answer.

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It may be difficult to shake

off the tainted view of Machiavelli which is entrenched in nearly every level of popular and intellectual culture, but in respect to Rousseau and Hegel, its worth giving The Prince a second chance with the awareness that the examples were drawn from an already-tumultuous Italy and that the ideas in the work can never be outmoded since they are thematically rooted in necessity itself. Likewise, the question presented in this project is also based on necessity and can be reworded as such: What is my best course of action and what is the best way to do it? The simplicity of this question may tempt one into thinking that its an easy formula to follow. To the contrary, even though a doctrine of necessity sounds good on paper, its inevitable intersection with stoicismits refusal to waste effort on uncontrollable variablesmakes it extremely difficult to apply when uncontrollable variables are painful and uncomfortable such as finding how to proceed despite the experience of loss. Almost as difficult as conjuring stoicism is declining luxury for the cultivation of virt. Its difficult to remind oneself that choosing tempting avenues such as basking in the transient glow of distraction usually have no productive worth and is typically counterproductive, such as when it reinforces bad faith by pushing important matters deep in the periphery. In general, its not easy to ignore hedonistic impulses and make objective decisions on whats necessary as opposed to whats tempting and cozy. This strategy of focusing on the necessary becomes even more dynamic when combined with other precepts. The traditional What Would Jesus Do? (or What Would Kant Do? for the scholars) complements the Machiavellian question perfectly. One covers dimensions of strict necessity and the other dimensions of morality. Although in the same repertoire, it's important to keep these separate. After all, moral evaluation is not always appropriate. No one is concerned about the morality of
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The Communist Manifesto. From the introduction by Vladimir Pozner, citing an article published in The Wall Street Journal in November 25, 1991.

Page 7 Allione 7 catching a football or hitting a tennis ball, but moment-to-moment tactical needs in competitive environments require a sharp and persistent reminder of the importance of virt in making skilled and artful decisions, especially when trying to inspire teammates.

The importance of virt for everyday civilian life Exposure to high levels of skill, whether just as observation or on the level of engagement,
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causes a boost in personal skill. This is most true when there is an opportunity to engage against individuals with superior skill and experiencethere is no room to doubt that playing chess or tennis against stronger opponents will entail immediate and concrete gains in skill. But when virt shines is where the very act of witnessing a world class demonstration of skill inspires those watching it to actualize a personally unprecedented skill tier. The driving force from witnessing such displays is that one becomes explicitly aware of just how much more advanced the loftiest tiers of skills are and sees that there is no reason to be intimidated by adversaries at or slightly above ones own level. This lack of fear puts the mind at ease and delivers the confidence to unfold talents. Via the process of inspiration, virts power to rub off from one to another is further amplified by the fact that inspiration is not part of a zero-sum system: It does not cost a great warrior, athlete, or scholar anything to inspire others. This conflagration is a chain reaction with no expended energy. There is virtually no limit to how much power a truly inspiring general can lend to an army. Likewise, a classroom of students can be inspired to push themselves beyond their known abilities after witnessing a professor unfold ideas with enough passion and elegance. When an army or any sort of team reaches a high-enough energy level, it senses its own ability to instill awe. It feels the terror that its enemy necessarily must feel when crossing its path. Excited from this awareness of power, infantrymen inspire themselves to even loftier levels and continually accelerate the epidemic of virt. This is no different than any other team, whether corporate, academic, or athletic. In the world of corporate strategy, one can learn much from the common mistakes made by characters in movies, which of course are always very obvious from the objective view of the audience. For example, one should never stall when certain victory is at handin films this often translates to never standing there and enjoying the moment while pointing a gun at someone that must be killed. And more generally, when making an important decision, one should never stall for the sake of amusement or pride but only to wait for a strong opportunity. Likewise, every school of martial arts agrees that making the right movement at the right time is whats most important; this principle goes

Page 8 Allione 8 far beyond martial arts and carries over into all aspects of life. The clear apprehension of this insight, however, is of little use on power or in an analytic vacuum; having knowledge of strategically significant principles does little good if one forgets these axioms while in the heat of battle,
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competition, or the moment. One safeguard against the forgetfulness of useful strategic principles is to cultivate a will to overcome the temptation to become attentive to irrelevant distractions. The best way to habituate a strong will in this regard is to make a habit of chasing temptations out of ones mind rather than to flirt with them, lest they develop an increasing strength and vivacity in the mind. Just as it is prudent never to underestimate the enemya prudence which unfolds from genuine humilityit is best never to underestimate the power of distraction. Such underestimation can lead one to forget what is at stake and be led by intuition into making critical mistakes. Another prudent way to overcome distraction is by keeping an active reminder never to let virt or power get to ones head. An audience witnessing theatrical hubris can always sense the thick foreshadowing of impending tragedy; therefore we would be wise to keep the same level of objectivity when examining our own lives, especially when it is uncomfortable to do so. This objectivity can more easily be accomplished by remembering that humility is not just a noble principle but a countermeasure against underestimating opposition and also the resentment which is commonly directed toward arrogance which can break even the most loyal of bonds. Therefore, someone with great power can avoid several paths that lead to downfall by anticipating the temptation of reveling in hubris. But the ability to analyze ones own behavior and judgments objectively is astronomically more difficult evaluating others. It is not easy, but an evaluation of what needs to be done is always possible and desirable in terms of ones long-term interests. This evaluation usually clashes with short term desires, but by combing virt with classical virtues, e.g., prudence, moderation, and temperance, one both has the wit to see the correct decision as well as the willpower to remain disinterested in unnecessary but tempting courses. Successfully evading a formidable distraction can be so difficult that this very effort is an art, and since distractions overwhelm and influence moral judgments, aesthetics and morality converge in the science of determining necessity.

The Mentalist: A Genuine Machiavellian Icon from Pop Culture The protagonist in The Mentalist, Patrick Jane, is the exemplar of virt; he demonstrates

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Machiavellianism in its rightful Nietzschean

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light rather than in its commonly misconceived Stalinist

light. The following describes the essence of the bermench as lighthearted and unburdened by the common troubles of life and can turn away from himself and leap over his own shadowand verily! into his own sunlight:
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And especially that I am hostile to the spirit of gravity, that is bird-nature:verily, deadly hostile, supremely hostile, originally hostile! Oh, whither hath my hostility not flown and misflown! Heavy unto him are earth and life, and so WILLETH the spirit of gravity! But he who would become light, and be a bird, must love himself:thus do I teach... With rope-ladders learned I to reach many a window, with nimble legs did I climb high masts: to sit on high masts of perception seemed to me no small bliss;To flicker like small flames on high masts: a small 16 light, certainly, but a great comfort to cast-away sailors and ship-wrecked ones! Similar to the genuine and original notion of the bermench, Jane comes from a dark past but consistently bears levity and grace and manages to be an uplifting influence on his colleagues. He had previously abused his gift of wit and insight to pretend to be a psychic, later applying this talent to be a consultant to a homicide investigation team. With his powers of observation, he is able to infer even the minutest details about ones past after a few moments of conversation. And as a former con artist and professional liar, its also impossible to lie to him without him realizing it. This makes everyone terrified of him despite his casual and friendly demeanor. Likewise, it always benefits a prince to possess a terrible power. And what better skill could a prince have but to make others believe that he can read their thoughts? No one would dare conspire against someone whom they believe cannot be outsmarted. While it is often suitable for a prince to act with levity, grace, mercy, kindness, and other virtues springing from humility, a prince must also wield a hidden and terrible power. In the 21 where feudalism and hand-to-hand combat are mostly irrelevant to daily concerns, the most important manifestation of virt is wit. The prince has only to contend with the ambition of a few which can be easily restrained in a variety of ways. He will be held in contempt if he is considered capricious, superficial, effeminate, cowardly and irresolute. A prince should avoid these things like the plague, and seek
Note that Nietzsche arguably does have his Stalinist moments although it appears to be in the context of parody and
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century,

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irony. Consider this passage: There is no harsher misfortune in all human fate than when the powerful of the earth are not also first among men. Then everything becomes false, awry, and monstrous (Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Trans. Graham Parks, p. 215). Ironically, this caricatures the exact principle which Machiavelli is often assumed to represent. However, Machiavelli would never approve of might alone as a qualification to rule otherwise he would not have been so motivated to free Italy from tyranny. 15 Nietzsche. Thus Spoke Zarathustra, XXV: The Sublime Ones. Trans. Thomas Common. Gutenberg: web. Also: Trans. Graham Parks, On Those Who Are Sublime, p. 101. Print. 16 Ibid., LV: The Spirit of Gravity. Trans. Thomas Common. Gutenberg: web. Also: Trans. Graham Parks, On the Spirit of Heaviness, p. 166-9. Print.

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Page 10 Allione 10 to show greatness, courage, gravity and strength in his actions ensuring that his decisions to his subjects private affairs are irrevocable and that he maintains such standing that nobody thinks 17 to deceive or outwit him. As some say, the weakest dog barks the loudest.
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Knowing that his wit is unrivaled, Jane never

has to be aggressive or petty. Potential adversaries see his confidence and fear the worst. His skills also enable him to be a world-class poker player, and because he can uncover so many details with uncanny accuracy, when he pretends to have information no one is able to call him on his bluff. Being able to read people well and penetrate to the truth of any scenario, real or imaginary, or at least having the skill to convince others that you have this ability, can be equally as intimidating as a lethal capacity for violence. Many levels of conspiracy are actively deterred if potential enemies believe that a princes virt is so high that he cannot be deceived. But above all, Jane is extremely distinguished, carries himself well, and is always sharply dressed. This relates to the lesson which ought to be learned from Commodus. Although not historically accurate, anyone who has seen the film Gladiator knows how fleeting Commodus' glory is; he falls short of dignity and therefore sincere respect. His subjects praised him out of fear but have no respect for him because he lacks both wit and dignityin much contrast to Maximus who commands respect by virtue of his courage and sheer ability. Like Jane or Maximus, a virtuous prince that also has virt will instill maximal awe and respect. Even from mere virt alone a prince can earn enough respect to remain genuinely secureas did Severus. On the contrary, if a general is just known as a really nice guy but lacks wit or ability, then he will not be taken seriously during his reign and would not be remembered for long afterward, even if he met his end courageously by leading the charge into battle. Therefore, virt appears to be a more vital characteristic for a prince than virtue alone although the combination of the two are always more desirable.

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The Prince: ch. 19, p. 99. I encountered this phrase while watching the Japanese saga Dragonball GT. It was spoken by the character Piccolo.
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Page 11 Allione 11 Getting at the Core of Necessity Examine this figure that Machiavelli drew in his Art of War:

In the third set of rows from the left there is a musician, flag-bearer, and a constable (a type of disciplinary officer). These three people are structurally necessary for the 320 soldiers to stay coordinated. Machiavelli himself was a military general. In his strategic figures, he would agonize over the position of every single soldier to make sure that harmony and function of the military design is optimized. Machiavellis Art of War is a collection of dialogues that took place in the gardens of Prato between Machiavelli and his fellow generals and lords. A consensus among the characters in these dialogues is that all-too-many modern generals imitate the ancients too closely and do not understand the original meaning and purpose behind what they imitate:

Fabrizio: "But the ancients used them [flags and music] as a guide and for reordering. For when the flag had stopped, each knew the place that he kept near his flag and always returned there. [Each] also knew that, when it moved or stood still, they had to stop or to move... Thus the infantrymen must march according to the flag, and the flag move according to the music. The music, having been well ordered, commands the army, which, while going with steps that correspond to its time, ends up keeping the orders easily. This is why the ancients had pipes, fifes, and perfectly modulated instruments. For just as he who dances proceeds with the time of
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the music and while going with19 does not err, so an army, while obeying that music in moving, it does not get disordered."
Machiavelli. Art of War, p. 57.

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A modern army that uses flags and music as a novelty rather than for the purpose of organization and symmetry loses an important asset. Given, this type of warfare is outdated, but the principle still remains. In a musical symphony for example, many parts sound as if the composer simply did not know what to do and therefore inserted random notes and instruments. No matter what the affair, an organic logical whole will always be most superior. It is easy to agree with the generalization that every tactical move should contribute productively to harmony, but where this becomes complicated is when there does not appear to be any productive tactical moves available. In chess, the bane of every tactician is zugzwang: having no productive (or even good) moves. Sometimes zugzwang is fatal, but when it isnt, the key to surviving this condition is to avoid rash decision to make arbitrary moves and to hold the current position patiently until no longer jammed. Coming from the words of the highest ranked Scotish grandmaster of all time: The important thing to remember in such positions is that your first duty is not to make any mistakes. It is not so easy for your opponent to do nothing. If you just keep playing moves, opportunities often present themselves.
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It was mentioned earlier that there is a universal principle in

martial arts that the right action should be done at the right time. As a commander on the battlefield, this means waiting patiently for opportunity. What also must be avoided is acting on rash impulse when a seemingly good move presents itself. This is something to watch out for: burning strategic bridges for seductive short-term tactics that never actually happen.
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It is usually worth considering whether making an apparently good move will

eliminate the possibility of better moves. With enough patience and restraint, the best decisions are made. A player's skill depends on his ability to distinguish between temporary restraint and pathological timidity. The former is essential for good chess, but is often neglected due to fear of the latter.
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Rowson. Chess for Zebras, p. 181. Rowson. Chess for Zebras, p. 123. 22 Rowson. Chess for Zebras, p. 182.
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Page 13 Allione 13 Mind the figures below from Art of War: Its likely that Machiavelli was first tempted into a more symmetrical design but corrected this impulse after more careful deliberation.

While many other commanders or military architects would have fallaciously chosen to place extra pikes in the upper left of both these diagrams to match the pikemen in the upper right, Machiavelli chose not use more pikes than necessaryeven though it looks a bit off. While counterintuitive and against the easy-to-see first good move, he found a deeper harmony in asymmetry and made a better move. From The Tao of Chess: When you see a good move, wait. Dont play it. Look for a better move.
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Wittgenstein as a Model Machiavellian Of all the philosophers, Wittgenstein perhaps had the best combination of dignity, wit, and the ability to instill terror, and would be comparable to Severus in the opening example. As the head of his
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philosophy club at Cambridge and a member of the elite Vienna Circle ran by Schlick, no person would expect to go against Wittgenstein one-to-one and expect to win a debate unless afflicted with severe pride and ambition. Karl Popper, comparable to Commodus, was one to fit this description. Popper would often get excited and abruptly dismiss the ideas of others. He would go too far playing Devil's advocate and make enemies. While brilliant, he could not temper his impulses or his excitement when in a panic or if he thought he was going to win against a formidable opponent. Wittgenstein, on the other hand, didn't show this competitive spirit, but instead had something far greateran unshakable degree of virt.
Kurzdorfer. The Tao of Chess, p. 182 (Principle 154).

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Page 14 Allione 14 Popper's overzealousness failed him during the most important moment of his life: when he was trying to impress Schlick so that he could be invited to the Vienna Circle: Others in the same situation might have pursued a tactic of attentive deference and studied courtesy. But Popper, when tense, was always liable to take an alternative routeno-holds-barred aggression. On that of all nights, he launched into a full-blooded tirade against his philosophical opponents. Wittgenstein was the main target of his derision, being accused by Popper of behaving rather like the Catholic Church in prohibiting discussion of any topic on which he did not have an answer. Schlick left in disgust halfway through the meeting; later he grumbled to Carnap that Popper had 24 caricatured Wittgenstein. Years later, when given the chance to debate Wittgenstein in person, Wittgenstein had a chance to show just how terrifying he could be to a civilian. He was, after all, a war hero and one who insisted on being at the very front lines with binoculars to scout the enemy, therefore staring death in the face. He revealed this side of him when Popper's pretentiousness became too thick: Somewhere in the back of his mind Popper knew he was going too far. Tomorrow he would feel remorse for failing to control himself, just as after the Gomperz evening in Viennathough he had never managed to admit that to poor Schlick. This Wittgenstein was real enough. But who would have said 'mystic'? All the dogmatism of a Jesuit. And the fury of a Nazi. A maniac misleading philosophyhe had to confess he was completely wrong. Just one more push, one more brick knocked out of this tower of chitchat. And now the madman had picked up the poker and was jabbing away as he tried to interrupt. Jab, jab, jab, in time with his syllables. 'Popper you are WRONG.' Jab, 25 jab . . . WRONG!

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Machiavelli surely would have rewarded Wittgenstein for his passion if given the opportunity. He writes, "A prince should also demonstrate that he admires the virtues [virt] of other people, encouraging men with ability [virt], and honouring those who excel in a particular field. Similarly, he should encourage his citizens to believe that they can go about their business undisturbed, whether it be trading, agriculture or any other profession, so that one man is not afraid to increase his wealth for fear that it might be taken from him, and another is not afraid to start a business for fear of excessive taxes" (115). By rewarding the bold, a strong and prosperous political unit forms: whether an army, nation, or simple team project. What it comes down to, and why Ficino was wrong, is that people are generally eager to be led by greatness. This truth becomes self-evident after a review of the science fiction classic Ender's Game, namely when the sergeant sabotages the young Ender on the first day by telling the other boys that they
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Wittgenstein's Poker. p. 169. Wittgenstein's Poker. p. 170.

Page 15 Allione 15 have nothing compared to the raw talent of Ender. They hated Ender for this, but when confronting his sergeant, he was told that he now had the option to become great or to become hated. If he truly became a brilliant commander, then thousands would proudly follow him to their deaths. Ender ended up developing a notorious reputation for brilliance, and since he continued to win battle games, that hatred they once felt for him converted into inspiration and unconditional loyalty. But as discussed earlier, a leaders display of brilliance produces more than blind loyalty; when an army knows that it has a brilliant commander, they have more faith in their cause and this confidence increases their performance. To be a leader, one must ever-increase one's repertoire of skills as well as the skill of developing skill itself: virt. "The technique plays upon a vast keyboard ranging from military power to the sentiments of fear and gratitude, of vengeance and loyalty. The prince, conscious of all the ramifications of power, the immensity, the variety, and the manifold measure of its keyboard, will be equipped with the abilities of the strategist and the psychologist, lion and fox." (142) The tactician does what must be done, and if some violence is carried out, it is done to protect one's circle of interest. What is the best way to do what you need to do? Ask yourself that often and many surprising opportunities shall unfold. At the very least, asking this question on a regular basis, as well as having an elementary grasp of Italian Renaissance philosophy, is enough to guarantee consistent gains of virt
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and better relations with friends and coworkers. As an extremely concise overview of Italian Renaissance philosophy through the particular vantage point of Nicholas de Cusa: beauty is found in a harmony and agreement of parts and this agreement can be found within ones own nature since we are images of God who is of the utmost harmony. Finding this aesthetic harmony in tactical decisions can be a confirmation that one has found a worthy decision which obeys necessity. When applied to moral judgments, this aesthetic strategy can shun distraction and provide clarity, helping one to excel at the art of necessity.

Page 16 Allione 16 Works Cited Edmonds, David & John Eidinow. Wittgenstein's Poker: The Story of a Ten-Minute Argument Between Two Great Philosophers. New York: Ecco, 2002. Print. 169 and 270. Epictetus. The Enchiridion. Translated by Thomas W. Higginson. NY: Macmillan, 1948. Print. 36. Ethical Communication: Moral Stances in Human Dialogue. Edited by Clifford G. Christians and John C. Merrill. Machiavelli Pragmatic Realism. John C. Merrill. Print. Card, Orson Scott. Enders Game. Unabridged audiobook. NY: Macmillan, 2008. Audio MP3. Cassirer, Ernst. The Individual and the Cosmos in Renaissance Philosophy. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1963. Print. 97. Kurzdorfer, Peter. The Tao of Chess: 200 Principles to Transform Your Game and Your Life. Avon, MA: Adams Media, 2004. Print. 199.
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Machiavelli, Nicoll. The Art of War. Translated by Ellis Farneworth, revised ed. Indianapolis: BobbsMerrill, 1965. Print. (Digital copy purchased from bookvault.org for access to images war diagrams, which were resized and rotated.) Machiavelli, Nicoll. The Prince and other Political Writings. Trans. Stephen J. Milner. Cambridge: Everyman, 1995. Print. [Online Translation] Machiavelli, Nicoll. The Prince. Trans. W.K. Marriott. NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1992. Available at <http://www.fullbooks.com/The-Prince.html>. Marx, Karl. Communist Manifesto. NY: Bantam, 1992. Print. Xvii. Reinaissance Conceptions of Man. Excerpt from an article for an Art History 200 class at SUNY Oneonta. March 2012. Web. <http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/ARTH200/artist/renaissance_man.html.> Rowson, Jonathan. Chess for Zebras: Thinking Differently about Black and White. London: Gambit, 2005. 123 and 181-2.

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