For such a prince, "unless extraordinary vices cause him to be hated, it is reasonable to expect that his subjects will be naturally well disposed towards him". He deals with hereditary princedoms quickly in Chapter 2, saying that they are much easier to rule. More importantly, and less traditionally, he distinguishes new princedoms from established hereditary princedoms. Commentators note that in fact he mixes discussion of republics into this work in many places, effectively treating republics as a type of princedom with many strengths. Machiavelli explained here that The Prince is about princedoms, indicating that he has written about republics elsewhere, which is a reference to the Discourses on Livy. How the word "state" acquired its modern meaning during the Renaissance has been the subject of much academic debate, with this sentence and similar ones in the works of Machiavelli being considered particularly important. In the first sentence, Machiavelli uses the word " state" (Italian stato, which could also mean " status") to cover, in neutral terms, "all forms of organization of supreme political power, whether republican or princely". The Prince starts by describing its subject. The subject matter: New Princedoms (Chapters 1 and 2) Machiavelli prefaces his work with an introductory letter to Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino, the recipient of his work. Letter to Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino Machiavelli's writings continue to provoke examination of leadership and government, posing age-old issues regarding the nature of power and the decisions that rulers must make to preserve it. In its use of near-contemporary Italians as examples of people who perpetrated criminal deeds for political ends, another lesser-known work by Machiavelli to which The Prince has been compared is the Life of Castruccio Castracani.Įach part of The Prince has attracted extensive commentary over centuries. In subject matter, it overlaps with the much longer Discourses on Livy, which was written a few years later. It even contributed to the modern negative connotations of the words " politics" and " politician" in Western countries. This short treatise is the most remembered of Machiavelli's works, and the most responsible for the later pejorative use of the word " Machiavellian". Its world view came in direct conflict with the dominant Catholic and scholastic doctrines of the time, particularly those on politics and ethics. The Prince is sometimes claimed to be one of the first works of modern philosophy, especially modern political philosophy, in which practical effect is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. Machiavelli illustrates his reasoning using remarkable comparisons of classical, biblical, and medieval events, including many seemingly positive references to the murderous career of Cesare Borgia, which occurred during Machiavelli's own diplomatic career. This is partly because it was written in the vernacular Italian rather than Latin, a practice that had become increasingly popular since the publication of Dante's Divine Comedy and other works of Renaissance literature. Īlthough The Prince was written as if it were a traditional work in the mirrors for princes style, it was generally agreed as being especially innovative. This was carried out with the permission of the Medici pope Clement VII, but "long before then, in fact since the first appearance of The Prince in manuscript, controversy had swirled about his writings". However, the printed version was not published until 1532, five years after Machiavelli's death. įrom Machiavelli's correspondence, a version appears to have been distributed in 1513, using a Latin title, De Principatibus ( Of Principalities). As a remarkable general theme, The Prince appears to take it for granted that immoral acts are justified if they can help achieve political glory. The Prince ( Italian: Il Principe Latin: De Principatibus) is a 16th-century political treatise written by Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli in the form of a realistic instruction guide for new princes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |