In Machiavelli's The Prince, he outlines conduct and virtues that make good princes, or leaders, and those that make for bad princes. He has many ideas that I agree with, such as taking care of small problems in such a way as to ensure that they don't become bigger problems, rather than holding out until nothing can be done; wars never go away, they are just "postponed to someone else's advantage"; people won't believe new things until they have some experience of it for themselves (although it is still true that we receive not a witness until after the trial of our faith. Ether 12:6). However, Machiavelli also makes some outrageous claims. The claim that I have found to be most outrageous is "Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good." I disagree with this statement. I believe that if a man truly tries to be good all the time, he will succeed. I suppose that Machiavelli's statement can take on a different meaning, depending on your definition of ruin. I take it that he means ruin of character and ability. A man's character can only be strengthened by trying to be good all the time. Along with this statement, Machiavelli claims that if a man cannot avoid vices, he should go ahead and indulge in them. I believe that we should resist every form of vice and temptation, reject the evil and only accept that which will bring us closer to Christ.
Machiavelli's statement about not trying too hard to be good and accepting vices is a philosophy that I would say is very much practiced in today's world. People are often mocked and jeered at for being a "goody-two-shoes", so people don't try to be good all the time, because they fear this social ruin, which may have been what Machiavelli was talking about, anyway, in which case he would have been right. But I believe he meant trying incessantly for goodness leads to ruin of character. People take Machiavelli's advice, whether they realize it or not, all the time about not being too worried about indulging in vices. This was true anciently as well as modernly, as we see from reading 2 Nephi 27:7-9. "Eat, drink, and be merry" they say, for there is no real punishment. They can still be saved! Machiavelli would have agreed with that, as he said "vice will lead, if you follow it, to your security and well being". This may be the most outrageous statement of Machiavelli's, as it directly opposes essential gospel doctrine that we should abhor that which is evil, and cleave unto that which is good (Romans 12:9), and we are taught that "wickedness never was happiness" (Alma 41:10). Therefore, trying to be good all the time will not lead to ruin.
