It was described as a handbook for new rulers, offering a blueprint for seizing and maintaining power, with stability as the paramount concern. The author believed that rulers might need to act immorally to achieve this stability.
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It ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things, because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders and those who may do well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them. Hence it comes that all armed prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed prophets have been destroyed.
Is it 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.
The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from the wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.
I say that every prince must desire to be considered merciful and not cruel. He must, however, take care not to misuse this mercifulness. A prince, therefore, must not mind incurring the charge of cruelty for the purpose of keeping his subjects united and confident. For with a very few examples, he will be more merciful than those who, from excess of tenderness, allow disorders to arise, from whence spring murders and rapine. For these as a rule injure the whole community, while the executions carried out by the prince injure only one individual.
You must know then that there are two methods of fighting, the one by law, the other by force. The first method is that of men, the second of beasts. But as the first method is often insufficient, one must have recourse to the second. It is therefore necessary to know well how to use both the beast and the man.
