PSIR QUESTION..9.“Machiavelli has been called the first realist in politics.” Explain with particular reference to his concept of relationship between ethics and politics

Q..9.“Machiavelli has been called the first realist in politics.” Explain with particular reference to his concept of relationship between ethics and politics.


Points -
• You must start the answer by explaining the concept of Realism.
●Introduce Machiavelli as Realist.
• Give arguments to support Machiavelli as a Realist
• Prove that Machiavelli was the first Realist.

Answer : • You must start the answer by explaining the concept of Realism.
Realism is the power view of politics. For Realists, power is an end and power is a means. Realism attempts to look at things as they are, rather than as they ought to be.

 • Introduce Machiavelli as Realist.
With Machiavelli begins a new age in political thinking as the rejected idealization and insisted on the needs to grasp the realities of politics. For this, Machiavelli is known as the father of Realism. He is the first person to have established an autonomous sphere of politics and was bold enough to suggest politics is not ethics.

His main concern was that Italy was vulnerable to internal and external threats. He wanted to Italy emerged as a strong nation State. Survival and preservation of the State was his fundamental concern. Machiavelli’s book “The Prince” was written to achieve this end, and considered as the best book in the field of statecraft. It contains a set of advices to the Prince, which project Machiavelli as a Realist.

 • Give arguments to support Machiavelli as a Realist.
According to him, Politics was ultimately and finally, a constant struggle for power and domination, which had to be judged by its own rules and norms so that States survived. Machiavelli sanctioned the use of deception, cruelty, force, violence, and the like for achieving the desired political ends. Thus, the basic principle was, ends justifies the means, which is the essence of Realism

The term Machiavellianism signifies this very separation of ethics and politics as he projects politics as uninspiring.
Machiavelli also advice the Prince to look at things as they are, rather than as they ought to be. One who sacrifices “is” for “ought” is bound to ruin himself and bring destruction of his people.
Moreover, he invented the concept of Dual Morality and separated private from public sphere of morality. The State or Prince had a morality of its own the morality of the success of State, different from that of common man. 
• Prove that Machiavelli was the first Realist.
No one before Machiavelli could, in the straight forward manner, talk about politics. Plato was known as father of Idealism and his Philosopher King was only concerned about what ought to be. Some realism came to Aristotle in the theory of Revolution. But only with Machiavelli could talk about politics in an unapologetic manner. It is the pardon that Machiavelli is criticized most for his views, yet he is practiced more in sphere of politics.