The Prince is often summed up as the personification of “the ends validate the means”. This quote, by the way, is mistakenly credited to Machiavelli. He never said that– nor is The Princes viewpoint really about keeping and obtaining power at all costs, which is a gross oversimplification.
“No fantastic male has been so misinterpreted,” Pedulla points out in the book, and his engaging writing might convince the naysayers who still think otherwise.
Far from it.
Picture of Niccolò Machiavelli. Credit: Public Domain.
In this context, Pedullas book serves as an outstanding primer for Machiavellis work, using the key through which to translate his most controversial ideas.
Machiavellis greatest transgression is his assertions that Christian virtues, while worthy, were not practical in the callous realm of politics. This view, understandably, earned him infamy.
Pedullas book talks about Machiavellis crucial works, The Prince and Discourses on Livy, positioning them in their historic context. These texts are typically viewed as foundational in political science, using contrasting yet complementary views on statecraft, power, and governance.
The figure of Niccolò Machiavelli is frequently synonymous with political and cunning control, a perception so entrenched that theres even a term in the dictionary named after him: Machiavellian. As Pedulla describes, Machiavelli had fallen out of grace with the powerful de Medici family, and it was customary in Renaissance times for a terrific artist or author to devote works to powerful clients. In this work, Machiavelli applauds the republican system, highlighting its advantages over monarchical rule. Furthermore, Machiavelli places a strong emphasis on military strategy and civic militarism, promoting for a strong, citizen-based military as opposed to dependence on mercenaries, as was the custom-made in Rennaissance Italy and in other places on the old continent.
Pedulla begins by analyzing “The Prince”, a work typically misinterpreted in its intents and messages. “The Prince,” written in 1513 but published posthumously in 1532, is devoted to Lorenzo de Medici, the de facto ruler of Florence. As Pedulla explains, Machiavelli had fallen out of grace with the powerful de Medici household, and it was traditional in Renaissance times for a great artist or author to devote works to powerful customers. Such commitments were called speculum principis, or “mirror of princes”.
Machiavellis tradition is a testament to the enduring complexity of human morality and governance. His insights compel us to show on the nature of power, ethics, and the fragile balance needed in their intersection. In this context, Pedullas book works as an excellent primer for Machiavellis work, providing the secret through which to translate his most questionable concepts.
In this work, Machiavelli applauds the republican system, highlighting its advantages over monarchical guideline. Furthermore, Machiavelli positions a strong emphasis on military method and civic militarism, advocating for a strong, citizen-based military as opposed to reliance on mercenaries, as was the custom-made in Rennaissance Italy and elsewhere on the old continent.
The figure of Niccolò Machiavelli is frequently associated with political and shrewd manipulation, a perception so established that theres even a term in the dictionary named after him: Machiavellian. When someone is Machiavellian, theyre tricky, cunning, and lacking a values. However was Machiavelli really the personification of wise evil as its critics set him out to be?
Pedulla stresses that amongst the ideas in The Price and Discourses on Livy, among the most substantial is the notion that it is easier to develop a bought society on selfish interests– which are therefore predictable and logical– instead of on worthy passions. Religion is usually decreased to a political tool, an anti-dogmatic technique that not surprisingly made him a target for infamy, however also worked in his favor in some method specifically because his philosophy was so extreme.
But unlike other optimistic treatises that preserved political believed with religious virtues, The Prince took the opposite turn, focusing on the practical steps and qualities a ruler must possess for efficient governance.
Theres a lot of misconception surrounding both Machiavellis work and him, as an individual. Gabriele Pedulla a professor of Italian Literature and Comparative Literature at the University of Roma Tre, intends to rectify these misunderstandings with his brand-new book, On Niccolò Machiavelli: The Bonds of Politics.