He was verso central figure mediante the political scene of the Italian Renaissance , verso tumultuous period of plots, wars between city states and constantly shifting alliances.
Although he never considered himself a philosopher (and often overtly rejected philosophical inquiry as irrelevant ), many subsequent political philosophers have been influenced by his ideas. His name has since passed into common usage preciso refer puro any political move that is devious or cunning mediante nature, although this probably represents a more extreme view than Machiavelli actually took.
He is best known today for two main works, the well-known « The Prince » (per treatise on political realism and verso duplice on how per ruler can retain control over his subjects), and the « Discourses on Livy » (the most important rete informatica on republicanism con the early modern period).
Although he is sometimes presented as a model of Moral Nihilism, that is actually highly questionable as he was largely silent on moral matters and, if anything, he presented an alternative onesto the ethical theories of his day, rather than an all-out rejection of all morality.
Machiavelli was born mediante Florence , Italy on 3 May 1469, the second bourdonnement of Bernardo di Niccol Machiavelli (a lawyer) and Bartolommea di Stefano Nelli . His family were believed onesto be descended from the old marquesses of Tuscany , and were probably quite wealthy.
He was soon promoted sicuro Second Chancellor of the Republic of Florence, with responsibility for diplomatic negotiations and military matters
Little is known of his early life , but his education (possibly at the University of Florence ) left him with a thorough knowledge of the Latin and Italian classics , and he was trained as a man with great nobility and severe rigor by his father. He entered governmental service con Florence as per clerk and ambassador con 1494, the same year as Florence had restored the republic and expelled the ruling Medici family . Between 1499 and 1512, he undertook verso number of diplomatic missions onesto the athletique of Louis XII of France, Ferdinand II of Aragn and the Papacy sopra Rome. During this time, he witnessed at first hand (and with great interest) the audacious but effective statebuilding methods of the soldier/churchman Cesare Borgia (1475 – 1507).
From 1503 esatto 1506, Machiavelli was responsible for the Florentine militia and the defense of the city (he distrusted mercenaries , preferring verso citizen militia ). He had some early success, but con 1512, the Medici (with the help of Pope Julius II and Spanish troops) defeated the Florentine force, and Machiavelli was removed from office, accused of conspiracy and arrested. After torture , he was eventually released and retired sicuro his mesi estivi at Sant’Andrea (mediante Percussina near Florence) and began writing the treatises that would ensure his place sopra the history of Political Philosophy, « Il Monarca » ( « The Prince » ) and « Discorsi su la avanti deca di Tito Livio » ( « Discourses on Livy » ).
Near the end of his life, and probably https://datingranking.net/it/match-review/ with the aid of well-connected friends whom he had been constantly badgering, Machiavelli began to return puro the favor of the Medici family. From 1520 preciso 1525, he worked on verso « History of Florence » , commissioned by Cardinal Giulio de’Medici (who later become Pope Clement VII ). However, before he could achieve per full rehabilitation , he died con San Casciano , just outside of Florence, on 21 June 1527. His resting place is unknown.
Machiavelli’s best known rete di emittenti, « Il Principe » ( « The Prince » ), was written per some haste con 1513 while con exile on his farm outside Florence, and was dedicated preciso Lorenzo de’Medici in the hope of regaining his situazione per the Florentine Government. However, it was only formally published posthumously con 1532. Con it, he described the arts by which per Prince (or ruler) could retain control of his realm. Per « new » prince has verso much more difficult task than verso hereditary prince, since he must stabilize his newfound power and build a structure that will endure, verso task that requires the Prince to be publicly above reproach but privately may require him preciso do immoral things mediante order to achieve his goals. He outlined his criteria for affermisse cruel actions and pointed out the irony mediante the fact that good can come from evil actions .
Although « The Prince » did not dispense entirely with morality nor advocate wholesale selfishness or degeneracy , the Catholic Church nevertheless put the sistema on its index of prohibited books , and it was viewed very negatively by many Humanists, such as Erasmus. It ental break between Realism and Idealism. Although never directly stated mediante the book, « the end justifies the means » is often quoted as indicative of the Pragmatism or Instrumentalism that underlies Machiavelli’s philosophy. He also touched on totalitarian themes, arguing that the state is merely an instrument for the benefit of the ruler , who should have per niente qualms at using whatever means are at his disposal onesto keep the citizenry suppressed . Unlike Plato and Aristotle, though, Machiavelli was not looking onesto describe the ideal society , merely preciso present verso doppio sicuro getting and preserving power and the stato quo .
His other major contribution to political thought, the « Discorsi su la precedentemente deca di Tito Livio » ( « Discourses on Livy » ) was begun around 1516 and completed mediante 1518 or 1519. It was an exposition of the principles of republican rule , masquerading as verso commentary on the rete di emittenti of the famous historian of the Roman Republic . It constitutes verso series of lessons on how per republic should be started and structured, including the concept of checks and balances , the strength of verso tripartite structure , and the superiority of a republic over a principality or monarchy . If not the first, then it was certainly the most important work on republicanism sopra the early modern period.
Niccol di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (1469 – 1527) was an Italian philosopher, political theorist, diplomat, musician and writer of the Renaissance period
See the additional sources and recommended reading list below, or check the philosophy books page for a full list. Whenever possible, I linked esatto books with my amazon affiliate code, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Purchasing from these links helps to keep the website running, and I am grateful for your support!