It is men who honour titles, not titles that honour men. How does a prince become powerful? What is required of him to stay there? What should a good ruler be capable of? Which it preferable, to be feared or loved? It is a useful guide and a political treatise that examines how to gain, keep, and use political power in the Western world. It provides a clear window into the thoughts of a ruler. It forewarns that an unruly polity will topple its king if it is not properly run. It goes into detail on a prince's traits and his discretion. Niccol Machiavelli's The Prince, one of the earliest works of contemporary political philosophy, explains why the Italian princes lost their states.