Machiavelli and politics
Muhammad Kamruzzamann
Its been more than five hundred years since the death of Savonarola and the compositions of The Discourses and The Prince (though published after Machiavellis death). Despite being references of different time frames, Savonarola and Machiavelli are still relevant to our so-called democracy: They help a bit to understand the characteristics and the psychological constructions of all ruling and would be legislators.
Machiavellian political ideology was a practical one regarding the socio-political situation of the 15thand 16thcenturies Florence. As long as the foxiness of thepeople related with religious and politics government of that period was concern, Machiavelli could not help himself keeping away from forming a political-utopiabecause he was well aware of the fact that man is not universally good. When there was corruption in every sector, how could anybody think of a virtuous government to lead a state full of cunning, selfish people?
Machiavelli, in his twenties, saw the rise and fall of a great man, Savonarola, a faithful man of doing good by cleaning all corruptions.Girolamo Savonarola(1452-1498), a Dominican friar, tried his best to bring change in Florence through connecting people of all classes bypreaching against sin and corruption of his own period. With time, he became influential among people and his virtuous attempt of bringing reformation in the fields of religion and politics put him into a situation where his virtue clashed with religious and political officials. Ultimately, he could not survive the wrath and was executed. There was nothing bad in Savonarola; he was a perfect man. But his attempt of reforming the system overnight, as well as his speed and openness gave birth to the conspiracy that he could not escape. He realised the necessity to make people aware of the sinful nature of man but could not realise that his honest attempt might be the reason for his death.
He understood the problem of his time but could not understand the people around him, most importantly the people he was directly connected with.
The miserable ending of Savonarolas life taught people a lot, most importantly, Machiavelli and his political thoughts are influenced by of Savonarolas ultimate destruction.
However, the democracy that is present in our country is a smaller version of Rousseaus will of all an opposite version of general will.The core difference is that in Rousseaus will of all, the majority decides the common good but, unfortunately, here in our country, a few people decide for the rest; in doing so, they are mostly concerned about their subjective interests, as well as for the group of people with benefits, violating the greater objective intereststhe general will. Our mainstream democracy and so-called democratic practices are indeed a conspiracy against democracy.
The way reigning legislators and their counterparts narrate and handle situations, theyestablish themselves as conscious followers of Machiavellian political paradigm. Our county is no Florence; there are no such political situations either. It would not be true to narrate that there is no anti-establishment conspiracy happening but not at a level to act like a Machiavellian-government. The political behaviour of our legislators seems like that they are well aware of the terrible fate of Savonarola. They might have got their lessons from the political life of Savonarola, as Machiavelli had at his early age. Machiavelli thought of a ruler who will be as cunning as a fox and as fierce as a lion to have a good grief over his succession otherwise he would parish. For example, being a good man, Savonarola could not survive because he was a misfit for the socio-political situation of whole Italy of his own time.
Machiavelli wanted a government that would treat statecraft as an art. Here I would quote from Bertrand Russells History of Western Philosophy:
It is true that power, often, depends upon opinion, and opinion upon propaganda; it is true, also, that it is an advantage in propaganda to seem more virtuous than your adversary, and that one way ofseeming virtuous is to be virtuous. In this first place, those who have seizedpower can, by controlling propaganda, cause their party to appear virtuous (496-7).
Russell discusses a type of virtue linked with powerful political narrativea virtue that seems virtuous ultimately helps those people, who control the narrative. Dominating political parties of our country and their followersclaim that things coming out of themselves as narratives or actions are the only good for the country and its people. And to establish their narratives and actions as good, they, in fact, design their plots and try to win by deceiving people as people with power can control things.
The way politics and political behaviours have got shape in the very last 40 years in our country, it can be said that Machiavellian political ideologies have been driving for a very long time.
Machiavelli and Savonarola stand far away from each other in terms of their political ideologies, but one thing is common in both:They wanted their state and people to be safe and free. They wanted objective good for everyone but here in our country,subjective good is considered as the ultimate one.
The terrifying reality is that people connected with dominating political parties have considered the development they have for their own asthe ultimate goal and the politics as an instrument of oppression.To do good for others is not considered as the ultimate goal but the way our legislators act it seems like that they are only working to bring positive and objective good for all.
It is very unfortunate that our legislators consider themselves as the masters of the country.And most importantly they (our legislators) have forgotten that they are the servants of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh.
The writer is a freelancer
