Necessity and Reason of State

The book argues that when the safety of the country is at stake, no consideration of justice, mercy, or shame should intervene, and that rulers must sometimes employ harsh measures, including destroying rebellious cities, to secure lasting peace.

Cities are founded out of necessity (e.g., defense against enemies) or choice, and laws must enforce discipline to counteract the corrupting influence of ease.

The necessity of laws and institutions to compel good behavior when men are free to act on their evil inclinations.

Machiavelli emphasizes that human affairs cannot remain static and that necessity often forces a republic to expand, making the Roman model of accepting internal discord the more honorable and practical path.

Machiavelli emphasizes the necessity of legal mechanisms to manage 'evil humours' and prevent the state from being overwhelmed by irregular violence or foreign intervention.