The Machiavellian Government

Essay # 68348

Literature > Italian
Political Science > Machiavelli, Niccolo

An examination of Machiavelli's theory of government as advocated in his books, "The Prince" and "The Discourses".

2,015 words () | 4 sources | MLA | 2002 France

Paper Summary:

This paper outlines the the Machiavellian theory of government. In particular, it focuses on how Machiavelli suggested that there are merits to tyrannical rule and it discusses rulers throughout history who have been cruel to be kind.

From the Paper:

"During Machiavelli's lifetime there was great unrest in Italy. Its fate lay in the hands of the Church and its neighbours, France and Spain. It was being invaded by an influx of foreign armies far more effective than their own. The Italian armies merely consisted of foreign mercenaries with no real conviction for the cause they were fighting for, and they were often just a drain on city resources. Machiavelli felt that a unified Italy was the answer, but the Church was an obstacle. He thought that one way to overcome this was by appealing to the ambitions of the Medici princes. Using his political expertise he devised a manual to present to the Medici family outlining how to gain, maintain and centralise power."