Power and Leadership in Machiavelli's Political Thought: A Strategy for Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria
Author:
Victor Ogheneochuko JEKO
Co-Authors:
Sunday Sylvester APOLOGUN
Abstract:
The problems of the quest for power and domination over others have been avery serious fundamental issue in human society. This paper attempts to x-ray theexistential question of power and leadership in Machiavelli's political thought. Thethemes such as power, success, glory, civic liberty and republicanism, maintenance ofleadership or rulership, freedom, prudence, law and order, justice, stability, fortune,virtue, domination, recognition, human nature, religion, corruption, morality,politics, law, the State, theory of social change, history, violence, and force are quiteinherent in Machiavelli's political thought. Nigeria as a country can be fundamentallyinspired by the Machiavellian vision of democratic government. Democracy incontemporary Nigeria has been a total failure due to bad system of political governanceand leadership. Effective political leadership structure in Nigeria can bring aboutnational security or national development, social order, democratic sustainability andpromotion of human rights and the common good of the people. The objective of thispaper, is that, Machiavelli's political philosophy does not only connote negativity buthis philosophy if well natured and nurtured have some positive implications on humansociety because for Machiavelli, power and leadership are purely fundamental issuesthat concerned the collective interests of the people in a republican State. For him, theleader must be concern about the common good of his people. The Machiavelliantradition presupposes the normative possibility of the common good, law and order.This paper adopts the analytical framework in discussing the democratic principle ofMachiavellian conceptualization of justice, politics, ethics, morality, power, authorityand leadership structure of the political State. This paper, therefore, concludes thatMachiavelli's writings are primarily a historical and contemporary political analysis ofhow political power is won, maintained, or sustained and lost. It demonstrates the factthat leadership is public responsibility and politics underlines this public responsibility.Political power and authority are matters of public responsibility
Publication Year:
2022
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