A great empire and little minds go ill together.
Edmund BurkeRead
"War," says Machiavelli, "ought to be the only study of a prince;" and by a prince he means every sort of state, however constituted. "He ought," says this great political doctor, "to consider peace only as a breathing-time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes ability to execute military plans." A meditation on the conduct of political societies made old Hobbes imagine that war was the state of nature.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes that a ruler should prioritize the study of war and military strategy, viewing peace merely as a temporary pause for preparation.
Edmund Burke highlights Machiavelli's assertion that a prince's primary focus should be on war, indicating that political leaders must always be prepared for conflict. War, in this context, is not just a phenomenon but a fundamental aspect of the political landscape, suggesting that peace is a fleeting state that allows leaders the necessary time to strategize and strengthen their military capabilities, reflecting on Hobbes' notion that war is the natural condition of humanity.
Themes
WarPoliticsStrategyPeacePrinceMachiavelli
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on political theory, one could use this quote to illustrate the importance of military preparedness in governance.
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Society can overlook murder, adultery or swindling; it never forgives preaching of a new gospel.
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The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
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