Oh who would ever want to be king?

You must know there are two ways of contesting, the one by the law, the other by force; the first method is proper to men, the second to beasts; but because the first is frequently not sufficient, it is necessary to have recourse to the second....A prince, therefore, being compelled knowingly to adopt the beast, ought to choose the fox and the lion; because the lion cannot defend himself against snares and the fox cannot defend himself against wolves. Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves. Those who rely simply on the lion do not understand what they are about. Therefore a wise lord cannot, nor ought he to, keep faith when such observance may be turned against him, and when the reasons that caused him to pledge it exist no longer. If men were entirely good this precept would not hold, but because they are bad, and will not keep faith with you, you too are not bound to observe it with them. Nor will there ever be wanting to a prince legitimate reasons to excuse this nonobservance. Of this endless modern examples could be given, showing how many treaties and engagements have been made void and of no effect through the faithlessness of princes; and he who has known best how to employ the fox has succeeded best.

That was an excerpt from the infamous Chapter XVIII of Machiavelli's The Prince. To succeed as a prince, Machiavelli says, one must know how to behave like a fox: to break promises, to betray friends, to snare enemies. 

However, as Dr. Pellerin pointed out during a seminar I took on Machiavelli, an unmasked fox faces terrible consequences. The unfaithful ruler whose deceptions are uncovered is utterly ruined. Therefore, a prince who rules like a beast must be ready to face the consequences painful temporal consequences. And then there are the eternal consequences.

Why these thoughts on The Prince? These issues - the unmasked fox and the consequences (temporal and eternal) of Machiavellian politics - seem to be very much the theme of Coldplay's Viva la Vida whose tune has been stuck in my head for the last few days. The lyrics too captivated my imagination. Have a listen:

(The series of paintings depicted in the above videos is also very interesting!)

Coldplay: Viva La Vida Lyrics

Songwriters: Berryman, Guy Rupert; Buckland, Jonathan Mark; Champion, Will; Martin, Christopher A J;

I used to rule the world

Seas would rise when I gave the word

Now in the morning I sleep alone

Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice

Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes

Listen as the crowd would sing

"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"

One minute I held the key

Next the walls were closed on me

And I discovered that my castles stand

Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing

Roman Cavalry choirs are singing

Be my mirror, my sword and shield

My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain

Once you go there was never

Never an honest word

And that was when I ruled the world

It was the wicked and wild wind

Blew down the doors to let me in

Shattered windows and the sound of drums

People couldn't believe what I'd become

Revolutionaries wait

For my head on a silver plate

Just a puppet on a lonely string

Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing

Roman Cavalry choirs are singing

Be my mirror, my sword and shield

My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain

I know Saint Peter won't call my name

Never an honest word

But that was when I ruled the world

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing

Roman Cavalry choirs are singing

Be my mirror, my sword and shield

My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain

I know Saint Peter won't call my name

Never an honest word

But that was when I ruled the world.

In the end, the fallen prince (or king, in Coldplay's song) appears somewhat of a sympathetic figure - he has lost power and influence, even his life is in danger and he has resigned himself to eternal damnation too.

If politics involves this paradox, this unhappy choice of having to either lose power and fail as a ruler, or lose your soul who, indeed, would ever want to be king?

Michael Walzer has a very interesting article on this paradox which he calls the "problem of dirty hands." You can access it here.

In the end, perhaps the advice of Ben Sira, author of Ecclesiasticus is most fitting:

Do no evil, and evil will never befall you.
Stay away from wrong, and it will turn away from you.
My son, do not sow the furrows of injustice,
and you will not reap a sevenfold crop.

Do not seek from the Lord the highest office,
nor the seat of honor from the king.
Do not assert your righteousness before the Lord,
nor display your wisdom before the king.
Do not seek to become a judge,
lest you be unable to remove iniquity,
lest you be partial to a powerful man,
and thus put a blot on your integrity.
Do not offend against the public,
and do not disgrace yourself among the people.

Do not commit a sin twice;
even for one you will not go unpunished.

Ecclesiasticus 7: 1-8.

This might mean that in many circumstances and places, you might have to opt out of politics, and give up the City of Man for the City of God. Whenever you encounter such a choice the Biblical writer's advice serves as an excellent guide:

In all you do, remember the end of your life, 

and then you will never sin.

Ecclesiasticus 7: 36.