Power: Between love and fear – the eternal dilemma of leadership

Source: Machiavelli and deterrence as the foundation of rule

"From this arises the question: is it better to be loved or to be feared? The answer is that it is desirable to be both; but since it is difficult to combine the two, if one must give up one of them – it is much safer to be feared than loved... for love is maintained by a bond of obligation, which, because human beings are bad, is broken at every opportunity for personal gain; but fear is held by the dread of punishment, which never leaves you."

(Niccolò Machiavelli, "The Prince", Chapter 17, Florence, 1532)

Explanation: Political realism: Separating power from morality

Machiavelli is considered the father of modern political science because he dared to sever politics from religious morality. He does not ask "how a ruler ought to act" (as in the writings of Plato or Maimonides, who demand that the ruler be ethical), but rather "what actually works." In his view, human beings are ungrateful and fickle, and so a ruler who relies on the love of the people will find himself deposed at the first sign of crisis. The only stable power is deterrence.

Perspective: Machiavellianism as an insult and a living reality

The term "Machiavellianism" has become a dirty word—one side of an unholy trinity alongside two other concepts, psychopathy and narcissism—yet Machiavelli was, above all, a cold realist. We want our leaders to be moral, but we demand security and stability from them. Machiavelli's dilemma is alive and well: Can a democracy survive purely on consent and love, or must it exercise a "monopoly on violence" to endure? In a utopian world, power stems from moral authority; in Machiavelli's world (and our own), power is still the preferred tool for getting someone else to do your will.

Going Deeper: Soft power vs. hard power: Does fear still rule?

Joseph Nye, an American international relations scholar, coined the term "soft power" in the late 20th century. Unlike Machiavelli, Nye argues that in the modern world, one cannot rule indefinitely through tanks and fear alone ("hard power"). A strong country is one whose culture, values, and language draw others to emulate it. Hollywood, blue jeans, and Coca-Cola are weapons just as potent as aircraft carriers, because they get others to want what you want without having to force them. Reality does bear out Nye's view when it comes to the Western world; but the Muslim world, as well as Russia and China for instance, do not want this culture. That is why the Western world, and Israel in particular, must hold onto both culture and weapons.

Culture: Frank Underwood: The 21st-century Machiavellian prince

In the series House of Cards, the protagonist Frank Underwood (played by Kevin Spacey) is the clearest modern embodiment of Machiavelli's "Prince." Breaking the "fourth wall" (the imaginary wall separating the audience from the stage), he addresses viewers directly, laying out his ruthless motives without any moral sugarcoating. In one of his most famous monologues, Underwood explains the essential difference between money (which everyone wants) and power (which a leader needs): "Money is the lavish suburban mansion that starts falling apart after ten years. Power is the ancient stone building that stands for centuries. I cannot respect someone who doesn't see the difference." Like Machiavelli, Underwood teaches that the path to the top does not run through niceness and morality, but through the ability to identify weaknesses, strike terror, and control the fates of others. For him, being loved is a luxury; having power is a necessity.