The Philosophy of Niccolo Machiavelli

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the differences and the similarities in Machiavelli's famous work, "The Prince", and his lesser read work, "Discourses on Livy". The paper points out that the main difference in the two works is that "The Prince" presents a model for an aspiring autocrat, while "Discourses on Livy" presents Machiavelli's preference and belief in a republican form of government rule. The paper also points out that the primary similarity between the two works is Machiavelli's strict adherence to a pragmatic approach to government.

From the Paper:

"Indeed, a letter written by Machiavelli was discovered in 1810, which suggested that he wrote The Prince for the simple fact that he wished to end the senseless and ceaseless invasion of Italy by foreign powers and he felt that "[t]o liberate Italy from the influence of foreign governments, Machiavelli explains that strong indigenous governments are important, even if they are absolutist"; meaning that, although Machiavelli was a staunch and firm believer in the validity and benefits of governance based on the republic model, he nonetheless considered it more important to set up an indigenous Italian rule first."

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