Well, I'm not sure what passage you're talking about, but a lot of his writings reflect on the idea that the ends justify the means, which means you can kill and torture as long as you think the end result is worth it, which would make sense, since he sided with the Medici's, basically the first mob family. If you're talking about "it is better to be feared than to be loved," he's talking about your stance according to the public. I personally believe that neither of these statements are morally sound because they eerily remind me of Hitler, but to each his own.
