Every one admits how praiseworthy it is in a prince to keep faith, and

Question

Adapted from The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli (1513) 
 
Every one admits how praiseworthy it is in a prince to keep faith, and to live with integrity and not with craft. Nevertheless our experience has been that those princes who have done great things have held good faith of little account, and have known how to circumvent the intellect of men by craft, and in the end have overcome those who have relied on their word. You must know there are two ways of contesting, the one by the law, the other by force; the first method is proper to men, the second to beasts; but because the first is frequently not sufficient, it is necessary to have recourse to the second. Therefore it is necessary for a prince to understand how to avail himself of the beast and the man. This has been figuratively taught to princes by ancient writers, who describe how Achilles and many other princes of old were given to the Centaur Chiron to nurse, who brought them up in his discipline; which means solely that, as they had for a teacher one who was half beast and half man, so it is necessary for a prince to know how to make use of both natures, and that one without the other is not durable. A prince, therefore, being compelled knowingly to adopt the beast, ought to choose the fox and the lion; because the lion cannot defend himself against snares and the fox cannot defend himself against wolves. Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves. Those who rely simply on the lion do not understand what they are about. Therefore a wise lord cannot, nor ought he to, keep faith when such observance may be turned against him, and when the reasons that caused him to pledge it exist no longer. If men were entirely good this precept would not hold, but because they are bad, and will not keep faith with you, you too are not bound to observe it with them. Nor will there ever be wanting to a prince legitimate reasons to excuse this non-observance. Of this endless modern examples could be given, showing how many treaties and engagements have been made void and of no effect through the faithlessness of princes; and he who has known best how to employ the fox has succeeded best. But it is necessary to know well how to disguise this characteristic, and to be a great pretender and  dissembler ; and men are so simple, and so subject to present necessities, that he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived.    1 
 1. The author implies that Achilles was __________.

A. not able to defend himself
B. compelled to adopt only beastlike behavior 
C. a good student
D. a prince disciplined in combat
E. instilled with the ability to act with the mentalities of both man and beast

2 
 2. The author views the faith of princes as an issue that is __________.

A. Complex 
B. contradictory
C. overanalyzed
D. dichotomous
E. trivial

3 
 3. The author believes that a prince is not bound to observe faith because __________.

A. animals do not have faith
B. faith is a sign of weakness
C. there is no logical reason to have faith
D. it is enough to pretend to have faith
E. other men do not have faith

4 
 4. Which of the following is given as an example of the faithlessness of princes in the passage?

A. False worship of idols 
B. Wars started without cause by princes 
C. Over-reliance on scholarly writings 
D. The tendency for princes to act like animals 
E. Treaties and engagements that have been made void

5 
 5. All of the following can be inferred from the text except __________.

A. princes must be able to engage both manlike and beastlike behaviors 
B. the qualities of a fox are advantageous over those of a lion 
C. in general, faith is seen as a positive attribute 
D. princes tend to share similar values 
E. a person who is deceived has likely allowed himself to be deceived

6 
 6. The word “dissembler," underlined in the last sentence, is referring to __________.

A. a traitor
B. one in disguise 
C. an actor
D. a performer
E. a liar

7 
 7. The lion and fox are mentioned in order to __________.

A. undermine human abilities
B. contrast the advantages and disadvantages of each animal 
C. highlight two animals’ strengths
D. suggest that these are the only two animals worth studying
E. challenge the reader’s perceptions of these animals

AishJegan · Answer

Can someone please explain the answer for 5th question. The author has mentioned that "he who has known best how to employ the fox has succeeded best" in the passage. Does not it mean that the author gives an edge to fox?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

In the passage, the author argues that a prince, when compelled to adopt beast-like behavior, should choose to be a fox and a lion. The author states that the lion cannot defend itself against snares, while the fox cannot defend itself against wolves. Therefore, the author concludes that a prince needs to be a fox to discover snares and a lion to terrify wolves. This implies that the qualities of a fox (cunning and deception) are advantageous over those of a lion in certain situations.

Hence, the correct inference from the text is that the qualities of a fox are advantageous over those of a lion.

Regarding your question about the author giving an edge to the fox, it is true that the passage emphasizes the advantages of being like a fox in certain situations. The author argues that the fox's qualities of cunning and deception are necessary for a prince to navigate political challenges successfully. However, it's important to note that the passage does not explicitly state that being a fox is universally superior to being a lion. The author actually suggests that a prince should possess qualities of both a fox and a lion, as each has its own advantages in different circumstances.

Rishmadhu · Answer

Can someone explain answer of 3rd question. If someone explain all the answers that will be add-on.

shubham28896 · Answer

Please explain 2nd question

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OK! I think here the issue is A or D?

The author's perspective on the faith of princes is indeed  complex.  While acknowledging the praiseworthiness of faith and integrity, the author argues that successful princes often find it necessary to prioritize craft and cunning. The situation is not portrayed in a straightforward or simple manner; instead, it involves a nuanced understanding of political strategy and the dual nature of human behavior. The complexity arises from the tension between moral ideals and practical necessities. While answer option  (D)  might seem appropriate at first, it implies a clear and distinct separation between two opposing ideas. The author's perspective is more nuanced, suggesting that princes should possess qualities of both a fox and a lion, navigating situations based on practical considerations. A has a slightly edge over D.

snigdha3108 · Answer

In the passage author is trying to explain the advantages of being each animal, and the authors point of view it is important to have the skills both the animals posses, he is not trying to state one animal is superior than the other.

"The author states that the lion cannot defend itself against snares, while the fox cannot defend itself against wolves. Therefore, the author concludes that a prince needs to be a fox to discover snares and a lion to terrify wolves."

crazy_weird0._ · Answer

I would like someone to explain question 3 to me. I think the answer should be E also because it says in the passage that prince are not bound to keep faith here - "If men were entirely good this precept would not hold, but because they are bad, and will not keep faith with you, you too are not bound to observe it with them. "

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hi crazy_weird0._

I think E is the second best here while  D  is the best. I think  (D)  aligns with Machiavelli's philosophy as portrayed in  "The Prince."  Machiavelli suggests that in the realm of politics, appearance often matters more than reality. He argues that it is sufficient for a prince to appear to have faith when dealing with others, even if they do not genuinely hold to it. Machiavelli emphasizes the importance of deception and manipulation in politics, stating that  "men are so simple, and so subject to present necessities, that he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived."  Therefore, by pretending to have faith, a prince can manipulate others and maintain an advantageous position without being bound by genuine adherence to moral principles.

While it is true that Machiavelli emphasizes the untrustworthiness of men in politics and their tendency to break faith when it suits their interests, this statement does not directly address Machiavelli's argument regarding a prince's obligation to observe faith. Machiavelli's concern is not solely about the lack of faith in others, but rather about how a prince should navigate this reality to maintain power and achieve success. E is relevent but less better than D in the sitiuation of this question.

Anandanwar · Answer

Hello,

A few queries:

Q2: The passage says everyone thinks princes have faith, but actually successful princes do not. And explains why.
It can be described as complex. It can also be described as contradictory, since princes are supposed to have faith by general populace, but actually they do not observe faith.
Complex seems to be phrase that is more broad than just what is mentioned in the passage. Contradictory is more specific.
So B seemed better to me.

Q3: The reason why price should not observe faith is clearly mentioned in the lines:
"If men were entirely good this precept would not hold, but because they are bad, and will not keep faith with you, you too are not bound to observe it with them. "
Choice E is clearly mentioned in these lines.
So chose E.

Can someone point to the logical problem in the above two?

Q7: Here I was really confused.
Prethinking: lion and fox are mentioned just to highlight that men should have characteristics of both there animals.
Now passage does contrast advantages and disadvantages. Also passage highlights both their strengths. 
How to decide between B and C?

Regards,
Ankit

Bunuel · Answer

Not a good question. Ignore.

The topic is archived.

guddo · Answer

2. The author views the faith of princes as an issue that is __________.

The passage says keeping faith is normally praiseworthy, but a prince sometimes should not keep promises when doing so would harm him or when the original reasons for the promise no longer exist.  So the author treats political faith as a conditional and practical matter , not as a simple moral rule that always applies.

(A) Complex

This is correct. The author does not say princes should always keep faith or never keep faith. He says a wise prince must know when keeping faith is useful and when breaking faith is necessary. That makes the issue  complex .

(B) contradictory

This is too strong. The author’s view may seem morally uncomfortable, but it is not internally contradictory. He gives a consistent practical rule.

(C) overanalyzed

This is not supported. The author does not suggest that too much attention has been given to the issue.

(D) dichotomous

This is tempting because the passage discusses pairs such as law and force, man and beast, fox and lion. But the author’s point is not a strict either-or division. He says a prince must know how to use both.

(E) trivial

This is incorrect. The passage treats the issue as highly important for political success.

Answer: (A)

Every one admits how praiseworthy it is in a prince to keep faith, and

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