A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MACHIAVELLIAN PRINCIPLE AND NIGERIAN SOCIET…

INTRODUCTION

Niccolo Machiavelli
appears to have generated more controversy than any of his contemporaries. So
much notoriety has gathered around his name that the charge of being a
Machiavellian still remains a serious accusation in current political debate.
Political thinkers from time immemorial had propounded one theory after
another, all geared toward the betterment and upliftment of humanity. One
salient feature of all these theories is that the propounders have the same
objective mentally but their ideological and methodological approaches are what
alienated one from the other.

In the case of
Machiavelli, he posited a complex relationship between morality and politics,
and associated the office of a ruler with the ability to know and act within
the political world as it is and with the beastly abilities to dispense
violence and practice deception. Besides, the hallmark of Machiavellianism lies
in the fact that evil means can be used to achieve good end. Hence, when one
has a good intention personal to him, what matters is not the process through
which this goal is achieved but the emphasis lies on the fact of being able to
attain the selfish interest. However, my concern is to x-ray philosophically
the principle of Machiavelli and how its influences have held the contemporary
Nigerian society to ransom.

                         PURPOSE OF STUDY

The high level of moral
decadence that has permeated every facet of Nigerian society has instigated me
toward embarking on this topic. The dangers of Machiavellianism constitute one
of the most problematic threats to the moral basis of political life of every
nation in general and Nigeria
in particular.

My primary purpose is to
x-ray how Machiavellian principle has penetrated our political and other
dimensions of life right from the moment Nigeria got her independence to this
present time. Thus, by x-raying this principle, I intend to place it side by
side with Nigerian situation and how it has permeated the political, economic
and the religious scenario of our country. In addition, I shall critically
appraise Machiavellian principle and how reliable it has been in solving human
precarious political predicament and whether his ideology has any hope for
Nigerian society.

                                          METHODOLOGY

The entire work is
arranged into five chapters. It employs the following methods: expository,
analytical, comparative, review, critical and evaluative methods. However, the
method that appears to dominate the work is the critical method. Chapter one
deals with the explanation and analysis of Machiavellianism, the political
ideology and background to the political theory of Machiavelli. In chapter two,
the views of some philosophers are discussed together with Machiavelli’s idea
of morality. Chapter three exposes Nigerian situation and Machiavelli’s
influence on her. Chapter four analyzes critically Machiavellianism and
Nigerian government together with the effects of Machiavellianism in Nigeria. While
chapter five, which is the last chapter, contains the evaluation and
conclusion.