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Considered one of the greatest political philosophers of Italy’s Renaissance, Niccolo Machiavelli changed domestic Florentine into a powerhouse Republic. In 1512, Piero de’ Medici overthrew the republic and returned to power; Machiavelli was deprived from his position, imprisoned and tortured. Disappointed and bitter, he retired from public work, and wrote his most famous work, The Prince in 1532. Personally, Machiavelli wrote this document to Prince Lorenzo de’ Medici, who was the son of Piero de’ Medici, telling him the best way gain and maintain power. In this letter, he discusses how to make empires bigger and how to keep people (from new and old territories) loyal in the king’s greatest time of need; to fight and conquer more land. He wrote this letter pointing out all of his mistakes hoping no one else would make the same mistakes he did. However, the most revolutionary aspect about The Prince is its separation of politics and ethics. The Prince describes politically how to run an indestructible government, for any Italian prince during the 16th century. In the first chapter, Machiavelli clearly discusses the two types of principality: how to win them and how to hold on to them. “Either through fortune or through strength,” (Machiavelli, 6) is the basic way that principalities are gained. A ruler can gained property by inheriting land through his family, or by overthrowing another ruler. As Machiavelli talks, he treats people as if they are not humans, and taking someone else’s life is okay as long as you gain something (land, money); is this moral. Machiavelli never considers morals or ethics in any of his views. Once these territories are conquered, Machiavelli tells the best way to keep them.
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