In modern discourse on power and governance, the question frequently arises: what will happen if society decides to follow the logic of "any means to achieve the end"?

The Dangers of Machiavellian Governance

In modern discourse on power and governance, the question frequently arises: what will happen if society decides to follow the logic of "any means to achieve the end"?

Such a perspective transforms the state into a ruthless machine, where the principle of selfish pragmatism replaces traditional moral values. If one bases their thinking on the idea that state power justifies any methods, individual rights and human dignity may be weighed on the scales of utilitarian calculation, reducing the value of a person to a faceless numerical unit in a game of power.

In conditions where morality and religious values are pushed to the background, society risks losing its ethical bearings. This may lead to the formation of a political system in which human relationships are littered with cynicism and cold calculation, where trust and social cohesion take a backseat. Without the ability to rely on traditional moral principles, politics becomes a field for the display of ruthless egoism, where personal interests are subordinated to strict, absolutist rules.

Such an approach inevitably drives power toward a cult of exaltation above personal freedoms. The gap between state interests and individual rights becomes critical, paving the way for a regime where even the most brutal methods are justified in the name of maintaining order and increasing control. A society deprived of an ethical foundation finds itself on the brink of alienation, where citizens become objects of manipulation and the state an uncompromising arbiter.

The way out of this situation requires a conscious return to the respect for human values and moral principles, without which it is impossible to build a just and sustainable community. Only by balancing the pursuit of order with respect for individuality can one find the path to a healthy civic culture that matches the dynamism and efficiency of modern challenges.


What social and ethical consequences might arise if society begins to follow Machiavellian principles?
If society were to follow Machiavellian principles, it could lead to a range of profound social and ethical consequences. First of all, the idea of justifying any means for achieving high goals contributes to turning the state into a machine with no limits in the use of force. As noted in one source, Machiavelli was ready to apply "any horrors of an absolutist–police state and any nightmares in dealing with individuals and groups" (source: link txt). Such an orientation implies that people may become exchange units in the state's arsenal, where personal rights and dignity become secondary to state interests.

Furthermore, abandoning traditional moral and religious values creates conditions in which politics lose its ethical foundation. In the same source, it is stated that Machiavelli "had absolutely no religious or moral illusions" and that he was guided by pervasive selfishness and cruelty, which essentially indicates a fundamentally amorality (source: link txt, p. 131). If such a mindset becomes dominant, society may deteriorate into relationships where pragmatism replaces morality and the individual is no longer respected as possessing inherent value – reduced instead to merely an arithmetic unit in the game of state power.

In addition, a cult of absolute power may emerge within the regime – a concept in which politics is detached not only from religion but also from any form of morality. As explained in another source, it is precisely this separation of politics "from religion, but also from any morality" that led to the emergence of a form of absolute power, one that no longer was restrained by any prohibitive barriers (source: link txt). This approach, bolstered by the will to power, contributes to the establishment of an authoritarian regime in which individual freedoms and rights are jeopardized, and the state is allowed to act unilaterally, without regard for moral consequences.

Thus, the adoption of Machiavellian principles may lead to a society characterized by cruelty, cynicism, and immorality. Such a society would be marked by alienation among people, a lack of trust, and the inability to develop a healthy civic ethic, as governance would be conducted solely from the standpoint of attaining power through any means, however inhumane they may be.

Supporting citation(s):
"Nevertheless, even elementary historical justice forces us to admit that, to organize his people and the homeland he so dearly loved, Machiavelli was ready for any horrors of an absolutist–police state and any nightmares in dealing with individuals and groups." (source: link txt)

"Machiavelli had absolutely no religious or moral illusions. Like Hobbes later, he based his views solely on the ubiquitous and bestial selfishness of people... not merely selfishness, but the absolutization of his own self..." (source: link txt, p. 131)

"As a result, Machiavelli severed politics not only from religion but also from any morality. Thus, the concept of truly absolute power, which was no longer restrained by any limiting barriers, emerged for the first time." (source: link txt)

"Machiavellian theories justified one of the strongest human passions—the will to power." (source: link txt)