Is he an opportunist offering aid and agio puro would-be tyrants? Do the moral and political goals he outlines in the final chapter of The Prince justify the actions he advocates in the preceding chapters? These questions seem destined sicuro remain with us as long as Machiavelli’s book continues preciso occupy a central place mediante modern political thought.

James Madison, “The Federalist Giammai

What we know of the personal character of Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) is at odds with the treachery implied mediante the adjective derived from his name. Evidence suggests that Machiavelli was an upright man, verso good father, and verso husband who lived con affectionate harmony with his wife, Marietta Corsini, who bore him six children. Throughout his life, Machiavelli was verso zealous republican. He served Florence with uncompromising patriotism as an effective senior administrator and diplomat. But his single-minded service esatto the republic of Florence ended when the army of the Holy League of Pope ily esatto power as benevolent despots of the city. Durante the resulting political purge, Machiavelli not only lost his position per the city government but, when per conspiracy against the Medicis was uncovered in early 1513, he also was accused of complicity simply because his name was on verso list taken from the conspirators. Thrown into prison and subjected esatto the kind of torture that forced blameless men onesto confess their guilt, Machiavelli nevertheless maintained his innocence and was eventually released.

Reduced sicuro poverty, and with restrictions placed https://datingranking.net/it/luxy-review/ on his movements around the city, Machiavelli sought refuge mediante the little property, outside Florence, that he had inherited from his father. There he produced not only The Prince, which he completed between the spring and autumn of 1513, but also verso variety of political commentaries and histories and per number of well-received literary works. After the death of Pope Julius II mediante 1513, the chant of Lorenzo de’Medici (called the Magnificent) became Pope Leo X-one of three popes the Medici family produced. It was Machiavelli’s hope that by dedicating The Prince sicuro Lorenzo de’Medici, bruissement of the most famous of all the Medicis, he would obtain an office that would return him to public life. That hope was in vain. Machiavelli died at the age of 58, still exiled from Florence.

I Samuel and I Kings (Old Testament); Matthew 22 (New Testament)These books sopra the Bible deal with the tensions between religious and political loyalties.

Aristotle, PoliticsIn this exploration of the ideal state, Book V, concerning the maintenance of political power, is an especially pertinent antecedent to Machiavelli.

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan (1651)The author presents a grim vision of human beings con their natural state, which becomes the basis for his argument that a practically omnipotent government is necessary onesto secure per basic level of justice and elementary freedoms.

John Locke, The Second Treatise of Civil Government (1690)Chapter 14 examines the circumstances sopra which government can act per violation of the law or per the absence of law. Chapter 19 concerns the right of the people onesto overthrow per ruler or government when either has abused his power.

10” (durante The Federalist) (1787-88)This essay addresses the problem of factions that inevitably develop among citizens and the ways of controlling their detrimental effects without infringing on liberty.

Is he best understood as verso seeker of unity and peace, concerned onesto make his advice practical and effective?

Plato, The StatesmanOne of Plato’s major works of political philosophy, this colloque explores the nature and virtue of per king or statesman.

Machiavelli’s view of the Italy of his day-“leaderless, lawless, crushed, despoiled, torn, overrun” (p. 83)-underwrites the advice he gives in The Prince. It also leads him to end his treatise with an “Exhortation esatto liberate Italy from the barbarians.” Machiavelli calls for “a new prince…preciso introduce per new order” (p. 82) that would bring unity and stability esatto the often warring city-states of the Italian peninsula. In this portion of The Prince and mediante some of his other writings, Machiavelli appears more idealistic and friendly toward per form of government that would give citizens verso say. Mediante his Discourses, Machiavelli portrays the ideal government as per republic that allows groups with differing opinions to speak openly.