Key Arguments

• Men are ‘thankless, fickle, false… greedy of gain,’ loyal while benefits flow but turn against you in need.
• Friendships purchased rather than earned by greatness of character fail when needed.
• Love is sustained by obligation that is easily broken by private interest.
• Fear is sustained by the apprehension of punishment ‘which never relaxes its grasp.’

Source Quotes

And here comes in the question whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved. It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both; but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved. For of men it may generally be affirmed, that they are thankless, fickle, false studious to avoid danger, greedy of gain, devoted to you while you are able to confer benefits upon them, and ready, as I said before, while danger is distant, to shed their blood, and sacrifice their property, their lives, and their children for you; but in the hour of need they turn against you.

It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both; but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved. For of men it may generally be affirmed, that they are thankless, fickle, false studious to avoid danger, greedy of gain, devoted to you while you are able to confer benefits upon them, and ready, as I said before, while danger is distant, to shed their blood, and sacrifice their property, their lives, and their children for you; but in the hour of need they turn against you. The Prince, therefore, who without otherwise securing himself builds wholly on their professions is undone.

The Prince, therefore, who without otherwise securing himself builds wholly on their professions is undone. For the friendships which we buy with a price, and do not gain by greatness and nobility of character, though they be fairly earned are not made good, but fail us when we have occasion to use them. Moreover, men are less careful how they offend him who makes himself loved than him who makes himself feared.

Moreover, men are less careful how they offend him who makes himself loved than him who makes himself feared. For love is held by the tie of obligation, which, because men are a sorry breed, is broken on every whisper of private interest; but fear is bound by the apprehension of punishment which never relaxes its grasp. Nevertheless a Prince should inspire fear in such a fashion that if he do not win love he may escape hate.

Key Concepts

• since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.
• they are thankless, fickle, false studious to avoid danger, greedy of gain, devoted to you while you are able to confer benefits upon them
• in the hour of need they turn against you.
• the friendships which we buy with a price, and do not gain by greatness and nobility of character, though they be fairly earned are not made good
• For love is held by the tie of obligation, which, because men are a sorry breed, is broken on every whisper of private interest; but fear is bound by the apprehension of punishment which never relaxes its grasp.

Context

Chapter 17, lines 1055-1113; core comparative thesis on fear vs. love grounded in claims about human nature and incentives.