Ch. 6 : New States That The Prince Acquires By His Valor And His Own Weapons
β
If the men were without passions, it would be forgivable to see Machiavel try to give some to them; he would be the new Prometheus bringing celestial fire to breathe life into robots. But no man is without passions. When they are moderated, they are the heart of the enterprise; but when the brake is stripped of them, they are its destruction.
— Frederick II of Prussia
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "If the men were without passions, it would be forgivable to see Machiavel try to give some to them; he would be the new Prometheus bringing celestial fire to breathe life into robots. But no man is without passions. When they are moderated, they are the heart of the enterprise; but when the brake is stripped of them, they are its destruction." in the context of "Ch. 6 : New States That The Prince Acquires By His Valor And His Own Weapons" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Frederick II of Prussia" (Quotes, Anti-Machiavel)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II of Prussia (January 24, 1712 β August 17, 1786) was king of Prussia from 1740 to 1786. He was also known as Friedrich der GroΓe (Frederick the Great)
About Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II of Prussia (January 24, 1712 β August 17, 1786) was king of Prussia from 1740 to 1786. He was also known as Friedrich der GroΓe (Frederick the Great)
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