Difference between revisions of "Niccolò Machiavelli"

Revision as of 23:29, February 10, 2009

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469 A.D.-1527 A.D.) wrote "The Prince," an account of government in which the "end justifies the means." In a time when many political theorists idealized princely behavior around Christian ideals, Machiavelli held that a good ruler uses any means he determines are necessary to enhance and preserve his power, and to act in his state's interests. He also wrote "Discourses on Democracy" and "The Art of War." Historians consider Machiavelli to have been the thinker who laid the foundations for the Age of Revolution.

Today the term "Machiavellian" describes a politician who spends all his time and effort on getting ahead and manipulating other people for his own gain; many liberal politicians can be called "Machiavellian."

Machiavelli, like many of the great Renaissance artists and thinkers, was a Lombard who lived in Florence.

See: Machiavellianism