The Prince: Chapters 9-16

Machiavelli starts off by explaining there are two specific groups of people within each civilization. The two separate groups are the nobles and the common people. He believes that the nobles are predisposed to holding down the common people and the common people are predisposed to working against this oppression. A Prince that gains power through the use of the nobles is at a much weaker point in relation to a Prince that is favored by the common people. This is true because the nobles are much harder to please than common people. Machiavelli also states that it is equally important to maintain defenses as it is to have a standing army. The issue of the Catholic church and its principalities involves a completely different separation of power throughout the area. The two essential components to maintaining a strong state are good laws and good armies. The good armies support the good laws and vice versa. Machiavelli then goes onto explain that a good army is dependent on outside sources as well as the stability of the Prince. Machiavelli's theory is that the only thing a Prince needs to study is war. Because of this, the Prince trains his body, mind and soul. Machiavelli then goes on to discuss the proper way a Prince should act. A prince's main focus shouldn't be on living morally, but doing what needs to be done to achieve the practical benefits.