(Teacher)
“Authority without wisdom is like a heavy ax without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish.” Anne Bradstreet. ("Anne Bradstreet") Anne Bradstreet was a puritan and a poet whose father and husband were part of the local government in the early year of the Massachusetts Colony. Her quote is a direct result of her experiences with politics during that time period of early American Colonial Puritan life. Her perspective on the most important factors involved in how politics worked is also reflected in a few of her poems. However, the statement above shows her perspective and understanding of the Machiavellian leadership model and how an ineffective leader is portrayed as the useless blunt ax. ("Anne Bradstreet")
Nicola Machiavelli was a 15th century Italian who was involved in politics during the reign of the Medici family. In addition to several other manuscripts, he wrote The Prince, a book that explains what a prince or an effective political leader should and should not do. Although, this is a short book, it has been in print for over 500 years. An accomplishment not shared with many other books in existence or still in print. In The Prince, Machiavelli wrote that he believed that an effective and strong leader was able to use a variety of methods to gain wisdom for any situation and learn how to use the advice he or she gets powerfully and carefully in order to manipulate the masses into thinking what they are doing is pleasing to the leader. This also included powerfully and carefully manipulating the government leaders around him that the leader or prince may or may not be in charge of. (Machiavelli and Bondanella)
Anne Bradstreet lived in the early 16th century, about 150 years after Machiavelli. ("Anne Bradstreet") It is highly doubtful that she ever read Machiavelli’s work, as it may have been controversial in a Puritan community. However, her wisdom in politics most likely came from careful observations of how the men in her life conducted business. Her wisdom in the political realm is written in her poetry, which can be used as a reflection of the type of wisdom Machiavelli attempted to describe in The Prince. Her political understanding seems to contrast her religious environment where she was supposedly part of the community. The Puritans would not have allowed a woman to silently rebel against the church nor would they have allowed her to become part of the political leadership. The Puritans portrayed themselves as law abiding citizens who conformed to all forms of authority. Consequently, this meant that all Puritans were expected to swear an oath to obey both the laws of God and the laws of the leader, whom they believed to be the messenger and representative of God. This was typically the minister who was also the leader of the community. However, when any community member disagreed with the minister’s opinion, that person was punished with severity. Typically, these punishments came in the form of a cruel burning of one’s lounge, or a hanging, if it was severe enough. In this way, the people were controlled by fear. As long as the people fear the leader, a peaceful uprising is somewhat possible. Of course they also believed that all leaders where inherently wise. There is a certain wisdom in creating an atmosphere where the subjects, or community both respects and fears the leader. The Puritans would fear the leader just enough to avoid causing violence, because as the Puritans believed, if they harmed the leader, God would punish them severely. ("Anne Bradstreet")
Machiavelli talked about this in chapter seventeen of his book, The Prince, Machiavelli tackles the idea of creating an environment where the people learn to fear, rather than love the leader. He explains that although Aristotle had a good idea, it was based on a utopian world, and not reality. That in order for a political leader to be successful he needs to use wise judgement on the best possible outcome for the greater good of all concerned. Although this particular position may not make the leader popular with certain groups, the leader will be effective and respected, even if that respect is in the form of fear. Machiavelli describes that some of those wise choices may be criminal in nature, it is better to commit a crime for the greater good of all than to be compassionate and show weakness. Strength is power, and power is strength in political affairs. If a leader wants to remain a leader than he or she needs to create an illusion of strength so that no one will question his or her power. If a leader seems too soft hearted, he or she will be easily taken advantage of and perceived to be weak. Leaders are rarely show weakness. These are the things that Machiavelli wrote in his book, The Prince. (Machiavelli and Bondanella)
When the community disagrees with the leader, there are peaceful ways to earn his or her trust and therefore change the rules peacefully, without violence. For example, in Machiavelli’s era it would have been good to get close with the leader’s advisors, find out how to win their support and slowly manipulate their ideas to help sway the leader to change things. This is the idea behind peaceful revolts. The ability to change things from the inside out has more power than an outright war on the leadership and its rules.
It would seem then, that both authors explained how the blunt axe or the power that is not used for its purpose, is useless if it is not sharp. In other words, the leader who is unable to use wise judgement to rule and is unable to control his or her subjects with a firm hand or sharp ax is not able to gain respect and therefore the likelihood of an uprising to overthrow the leader is reduced.
Works Cited
"Anne Bradstreet". Poetryfoundation.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.
Machiavelli, Niccolò and Peter E Bondanella. The Prince. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Print. Ch. 17 - 22.
