"In the case of a prince whose sole motive is lust for power, the means he must employ to strengthen and preserve his state have been described at some length by that keen observer, Machiavelli, but with what purpose appears uncertain. If he did have some good purpose in mind, as one should believe of so wise a man, it must have been to show how foolish are the attempts so often made to get rid of a tyrant while yet the causes that have made the prince a tyrant cannot be removed; on the contrary, they become more firmly established as the prince is given more grounds for fear."

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Added on April 10, 2026
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Original Language: English

Sources

Baruch Spinoza, Political Treatise, Chapter 5

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_Machiavelli