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The Prince
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The Prince
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The Prince
Ebook190 pages3 hours

The Prince

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The Prince is an influential treatise written by the political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli in 1513, which was published in 1532 - five years after his death. It essentially says that theological or ethical considerations are irrelevant in political decision making. Though many of us haven't read his work, most have heard or used the word "Machiavellian" - now a pejorative adjective - to describe anyone whose ruthless self-interest guides his actions. But Machiavelli was a realist, and his theories are not evil in themselves. They describe rules that guide political decision making... Yes Stalin had The Prince on his nightstand, but it was his interpretation of the rules that made him a totalitarian scumbag.


The Prince is also credited for introducing into wide usage the sayings "the end justifies the means," and "it is better to be feared than loved." Which brings to mind about half of Shakespeare's villains, who in fact were inspired by the rules in Machiavelli's The Prince.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 27, 2015
ISBN9789635274215
Author

Niccolò Machiavelli

Niccolò Machiavelli was born on 3 May 1469 in Florence during the city-state's peak of greatness under the Medici family. In 1494, the year the Medici were exiled, Machiavelli entered Florentine public service. In 1498 he was appointed Chancellor and Secretary to the Second Chancery. Serving as a diplomat for the republic, Machiavelli was an emissary to some of the most distinguished people of the age. When the Medici were returned to Florence in 1512, Machiavelli was forced into retirement. In the years that followed he devoted himself to literature, producing not only his most famous work, The Prince, but also the Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius (First Decade here means First Ten Books), his Art of War and The History of Florence. In 1527 the Medici were once again expelled from Florence, but before Machiavelli was able once again to secure political office in the city he died on 22 June 1527.

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