The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli is a 16th-century political treatise offering a pragmatic, often ruthless, guide for rulers on acquiring and maintaining power, arguing that a leader must prioritize the state's stability over traditional morality, sometimes using deceit and force, and it's better to be feared than loved if you can't be both, but always avoiding hatred by not seizing property. Written as advice for the Medici rulers, it details types of states, military strategy, and the prince'