Cruelty#
Summary#
In Machiavelli’s political philosophy, cruelty is a tool that can be “well-used” when applied decisively and all at once for security, enabling a prince to maintain order where excessive mercy would permit greater suffering through chaos and disorder. Nietzsche extends this analysis beyond politics, arguing that cruelty underlies all of “higher culture”—from the enjoyment of tragedy to religious self-denial to the pursuit of knowledge itself, where the seeker forces his spirit to perceive against its own inclinations. Both thinkers reject simplistic moral condemnation, viewing cruelty as a fundamental force that has been spiritualized and transfigured rather than eliminated.
Mentioned In#
The Prince#
- VIII. Concerning Those Who Have Obtained a Principality by Wickedness ↖ The Prince
- XVII. Concerning Cruelty and Clemency, and Whether It Is Better to Be Loved Than Feared ↖ The Prince