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The Prince


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When Lorenzo de' Medici seized control of the Florentine Republic in 1512, he summarily fired the Secretary to the Second Chancery of the Signoria and set in motion a fundamental change in the way we think about politics. The person who held the aforementioned office with the tongue-twisting title was none other than Niccolò Machiavelli, who, suddenly finding himself out of a job after 14 years of patriotic service, followed the career trajectory of many modern politicians into punditry. Unable to become an on-air political analyst for a television network, he only wrote a book. But what a book The Prince is. Its essential contribution to modern political thought lies in Machiavelli's assertion of the then revolutionary idea that theological and moral imperatives have no place in the political arena. "It must be understood," Machiavelli avers, "that a prince ... cannot observe all of those virtues for which men are reputed good, because it is often necessary to act against mercy, against faith, against humanity, against frankness, against religion, in order to preserve the state." With just a little imagination, readers can discern parallels between a 16th-century principality and a 20th-century presidency.

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Recent Forum Posts on The Prince

Principles/ Rules

Can someone please list the Machiavellian Rules to being a good ruler for me! I need them reasonably soon!!!!!!! Thank you so much!!!!!!

Posted By SkylineRomance at Sun 21 Oct 2007, 9:10 AM in The Prince || 0 Replies

please help......anything please!

In what ways do machavelli's guildlines for leadership depart from or violate Christian ethics??/ Thank you for the help!:D

Posted By showjumper1231 at Tue 14 Aug 2007, 3:30 PM in The Prince || 2 Replies

Machiavelli (Please I need help as soon As poosible)

Hi, I am foreign students who spends hours translating, neverheless, got good grades always. I got this essay Question which is very very hard for me please if you can help , please do I got four days from now. I almost give up. (What practical problems do you think arise in the way Machiavelli suggests that power in aquired and maintained, and the way a ruler should deal with furtune). I wrote 800 word already I am working very hard on it, but still it is extremly hard. Please Help.:blush: .

Posted By Lovely.Angel at Sun 29 Apr 2007, 9:57 PM in The Prince || 3 Replies

Can you give me a hand?

I would appreciate if you would help me in this essay that i have to do. My topic is about the qualities of a prince. What are the qualities of a prince mentioned by Niccolo Machiavelli? What characteristics should a prince posses, and how should a prince behave? If you help me i would appreciate it like i said before. I have written part of my essay but i need more information on it. Thank you!!! answer ASAP!! ;) :) :thumbs_up

Posted By gemelochapin100 at Sun 10 Dec 2006, 11:51 AM in The Prince || 2 Replies

Help me with my essay

I have to write an essay for my history class, the topic is how did the idea of machiavelli influence events in world history between 1640-1914???? Please Help Me!!!!

Posted By whoami2233 at Wed 21 Jun 2006, 8:46 PM in The Prince || 0 Replies

Can anyone help Me?

I need help with my paper I'm writing a paper on machiavelli. This is what my professor posted: Machiavelli has espoused a philosophy that asserts the notion that the concept of "power" is to integral to understanding the political behavior of policy-makers...so integral in fact, that perhaps "power" and politics cannot be conceptually separated. Can Machiavelli's assertion stand without challenge? Formulate a coherent challenge to the machiavellian assertion that power should be the unit of measure by which all public policy directives should analyze. Can anyone give me a little direction here? I just need a little guidance on where to look for information on machiavelli's thoughts on power and politics.

Posted By poliscigirl at Wed 16 Nov 2005, 9:33 PM in The Prince || 1 Reply

historical and social connection

Machiavelli's the prince was read by many dictators of our time including Hitler, Stalin, and Mussaline. But during its own time period it had to have some impact.... Ceasare Borgia, was seen as the italian prince who united the penisula and unified the people in a brutal manner through Machiavellis teachings in The prince. Does anyone know of any other ways the Prince influences historical and social events in its time.

Posted By omgitsMK at Fri 4 Nov 2005, 6:32 PM in The Prince || 0 Replies

:)

HI ! i need help with the prince by machiavelli, any help will be greatly appreciated !

Posted By omgitsMK at Fri 4 Nov 2005, 12:36 AM in The Prince || 2 Replies

Help !!

i have to write a paper about how the prince relates to historical and social events of its times. the historical part isnt as hard as the social, any help would be nice.

Posted By omgitsMK at Fri 4 Nov 2005, 12:35 AM in The Prince || 0 Replies

Prince/Davies

Machiavelli's work was never intended to be applied to republics, or democracies. It is a work which, as Machiavelli himself said only applied to principalities, or what we call dictatorships in modern times. I agree with Davies comments that Machiavelli's work can not be justified in light of "modern governmental coups," because The Prince, in an attempt to justify principalities, and instruct their leaders, is only an exercise in futility, because the only long-lasting (and legitimate) form of government is that in which powers are not based on the amoral decisions of a Prince, but on the will of the people. If the institutions of Poland and the Balkans were based on democratic principles instead of Machiavellian principles, those territories would not be so low down on the "cultural gradient" or the political gradient, in terms of their political stability as they have been historically.

Posted By Vince Beasley at Tue 24 May 2005, 6:07 PM in The Prince || 0 Replies

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