Machiavelli does not say that true generosity is bad. True generosity, he notes, would not get a prince a reputation for being generous, because no one would see it. His focus is on the appearance of generosity and what one must do to develop one's public image. If a prince is giving away other people's property, he can afford to be generous, but if he is giving away his own resources, he will become grasping and hated or poor and despised.Īfter teasing the reader with shocking revelations in Chapter 15, Machiavelli comes away sounding thoroughly conservative in this chapter, discussing the supposed virtue of generosity. Therefore, a wise prince will not mind being called a miser, because stinginess is a vice that allows him to reign. ![]() The prince's subjects will hate him, and no one will respect him because he is poor. Generosity of this sort benefits few and harms many. To support this habit, a prince must raise taxes and squeeze money from his subjects. ![]() Generosity exercised in truly virtuous ways is never seen by others, so if you want to be thought of as a generous ruler, you must keep up a lavish public display. A reputation for generosity is thought to be desirable, but developing it can be dangerous.
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