Machiavelli's "The Prince"

Term Paper # 101441

Philosophy > Ethics
Political Science > Machiavelli, Niccolo

This paper discusses how Niccolo di Bernardo Machiavelli's political thinking was profoundly shaped by lessons of history.

850 words () | 4 sources | APA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper looks at Machiavelli's "The Prince" and his controversial political teachings that a wise prince should not feel himself bound by morals but should consider the needs of the state. The paper discusses how Machiavelli draws lessons from classical and recent history that are always filtered through his real-world experience. The paper maintains that it is this grounding in real-world historical examples that distinguishes Machiavelli's political guides from that of earlier theorists and supports the continuing validity of his work even in the present day.

From the Paper:

"In contrast to earlier political philosophers such as Plato or Aristotle, whose political theories are primarily based upon logical argument with "real-world" political illustrations and applications being secondary, Machiavelli's political thinking was profoundly shaped by the lessons of history as filtered through the contemporary political events of his own time. For example, the political battles and intrigues of the Medici family, who dominated Florence through much of Machiavelli's youth, gave him insights into both successful and flawed political strategic thinking. In Machiavelli's The Prince and The Discourses he explores how past and present political events can be viewed as examples that illustrate general political rules or maxims which can guide a leader or prince in political action (Bondanella and Musa 1979). As modern scholars note, this characteristic of Machiavelli's work distinguishes him from earlier philosophers, and grounds his political theory in real-world experience."

Sample of Sources Used:

Bondanella, P. and Musa, M. (1979). "Introduction: An essay on Machiavelli." In P. Bondanella and M. Musa, eds. The portable Machiavelli. New York: Penguin: pp.9-40.
Hale, J.R. (1990). "Machiavelli and the self-sufficient state." In D. Thompson, ed. Political ideas. London: Penguin: pp.22-33.
Machiavelli, N. (1999). The prince. London: Penguin.
Strauss, L. (1958). Thoughts on Machiavelli. Glencoe, Ill.: Free Press.