Critically examine Machiavelli's views on religion and politics. (UPSC CSE Mains 2018 - Political Science and International Relations, Paper 1)
- Renaissance, Luther, Calvin and Machiavelli are almost contemporary. Both democracy and individualism are the products of the Renaissance. But simultaneously despotism emerged along with them. Church and papacy were forced to surrender their supremacy and dictatorial manner or functioning and the vacuum created in this way were forthwith filled up by the rise of monarchy. The dominating power of kings became absolutely prominent. Out of democracy, individualism and despotism, only despotism was able to draw special attention of Machiavelli.
- Machiavelli made a clear distinction between distinctions between politics on the one hand and religion and ethics on the other and in doing so he has accorded subordinate position to the latter. He ignores the ethical purpose of the state. To him state is not a means but an end in itself with its own interest. The interest of the state justifies everything. The state has no ethics. State actions are not to be judged by individual ethics. In exercising political power, Machiavelli opines that a ruler should give priority to what is good for the state rather than what is moral or immoral. A ruler should not lag behind even in the employment of violence, cruelty and bad faith. Appreciating the good qualities of a ruler, Machiavelli emphasized that he cannot part with the bad means to be an able leader. He says public morality need not necessarily be identical with the private morality because the ends of public morality may not necessarily be identical with those of private morality. Hence Machiavelli prescribed double standard of conduct for the ruler and for the individual citizens.
- Machiavelli was clear in his conception of the relationship between religion and politics. He opined that religion should be exploited for the sake of political expediency. Otherwise, religion and politics should be kept separate, religion always being subordinated to politics. A ruler has supreme powers, and he is above the norms of moral or religious tenets. Thus, Machiavelli gives greatest importance to political power and political expediency. He holds that religious and ethical principles have only a secondary role and in no way, they should be a hindrance to the exercise of political power.
- Machiavelli thus invented secular politics by liberating it from religion and natural law. He said religion cannot influence politics and the church cannot control the state. In fact the sovereign state enjoys absolute power over all individuals and institutions. As such the church is subordinate to the state. Thus Machiavelli separated religion from politics and paved way for emergence of the secular state.
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