《君主论·第二十章·堡垒等手段是否有益》第4节
4. Without doubt princes become great when they overcome the difficulties and obstacles by which they are confronted, and therefore fortune, especially when she desires to make a new prince great, who has a greater necessity to earn renown than an hereditary one, causes enemies to arise and form designs against him, in order that he may have the opportunity of overcoming them, and by them to mount higher, as by a ladder which his enemies have raised. For this reason many consider that a wise prince, when he has the opportunity, ought with craft to foster some animosity against himself, so that, having crushed it, his renown may rise higher.
注释摘要
这一段是第二十章里最违背日常道德直觉的论证之一，马基雅维利却说得相当冷静：困难本身可以成为君主往上爬的梯子。 他这里的推理链条很短，但逻辑很硬。先摆出一个判断：君主之所以变得伟大，不是因为没有困难，而是因为他战胜了眼前的困难与障碍。接下来他把这个判断直接跟命运这个核心概念挂钩。命运为了成就一个新君主的伟大，就会故意让敌人出现、让阴谋成形，给他制造一种看似危…