The Prince and the Discourses on Livy Essay - 2137 Words

Niccolo Machiavelli was at his time and continues to be now days one of the most influential and revolutionary authors known throughout the centuries. His writings, distinct from other renaissance authors of the epoch, make emphasis on his personal views and his opinions on the political matters taking place in Florence, Italy. Further discussed in the text are two of Machiavelli’s most renowned works, The Prince and the Discourses on Livy. Both books comprehend Machiavelli’s understandings of politics and explicit analysis on the various methods of governments with respect to principalities and republics. Machiavelli had many intentions in mind when he was first writing The Prince, among which where to understand, instruct and†¦show more content†¦He argues that it if the natural prince possesses such extreme sagacity, he will always maintain himself in the state unless deprived by a superior force. Nonetheless, if the natural prince has reasons enough to irritate his subjects and causes himself to be hated, people will willingly trade him for another ruler in the hopes that the new ruler will be better than the present one. Machiavelli says that once the prince is replaced, the state is no longer to be considered a hereditary principality but be classified as a mixed principality. As Machiavelli had at first noted, new and mixed principalities are indeed much more difficult to maintain. For it is in new and mixed principalities that difficulties start to present themselves. Machiavelli states that mutations to form mixed principalities, in which men change their rulers gladl y in the belief that they will better themselves by the change, arise from a natural difficulty. Unfortunately for the people, problems for Machiavelli do not stop here, for he argues that it is â€Å"an infinite number of other wrongs that follow in the train of new conquests.† When the new prince takes over another prince’s domain, he finds himself in a delicate situation with regard to the people who put him in power and with those whom he injured by seizing that principality. He explains that the new prince has â€Å"for enemies all those whom he has injured by seizing that principality; and at the same time heShow MoreRelatedThe Prince And Discourse On Livy900 Words   |  4 Pagesfamous works, The Prince and Discourse on Livy, Machiavelli meticulously discusses the importance of religion in the formation and maintaining a political order. Machiavelli regards religion as a political tool used by political elites for political purposes. He argues that the appeara nce of religion is good while the practice of it is harmful. One of the memorable passage from the Prince that supports Machiavelli’s claim is when he advices the prince to not to be good, and the prince should cultivateRead MorePolitical Philosophy in Machiavelli’s The Prince and Discourses on Livy 725 Words   |  3 PagesMachiavelli’s The Prince coming to mind. This is one of the most notable books ever written on the topic of politics and one of the most well known books to come from the Renaissance, but it is not the only book from this time period that focused on politics. Machiavelli also wrote Discourses on Livy, which gives a very different view of the political world and Francis Bacon wrote about the reign of Henry VII. Each of these manuscripts focuses on the different traits that a prince ought to have, theirRead MoreMachiavelli and the Use of Antiquity in The Prince and The Discourses1838 Words   |  7 Pages Machiavelli and the Use of Antiquity in The Prince and The Discourses The Renaissance was a time of classical revival and a turning point from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern period in the course of history. Ancient texts and artifacts became sources of inspiration for intellectuals and artists alike, and the desire to emulate—or even surpass the achievements of the past prompted them to study antiquities closely and saw them as models and guidance. People were consciously distinguishingRead MoreEssay on Machiavelli and the Roman Empire1489 Words   |  6 Pagesthemselvesquot; in common with those from the past (Discourses 6). This seems to follow the adage that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, yet for Machiavelli he seems more concerned with actually emulating history in order to repeat success than looking out for particular things to avoid. For this reason, he pulls examples from an eclectic range of histories in order to demonstrate how his principles in both The Prince and the Discourses on Livy, when fol lowed, will lead to a successfulRead MoreBiography of and Principles Taught By Niccolo Machiavelli Essay1047 Words   |  5 Pagestreatise The Prince, written in 1532, Machiavelli outlines several key traits of a successful princedom such as; how to incorporate newly acquired provinces, the most successful way to conquer territories, the establishment of successful defense and military forces, as well as qualities which would make for the most desirable prince. Machiavelli also brings to attention the pitfalls of previous Italian princes as to prevent the same mistakes from reoccurring. In The Discourses on Livy MachiavelliRead MoreMachiavelli’s Political Ideas and Influence1477 Words   |  6 PagesMachiavelli wrote The Prince, which explained his ideas and experiences from his time as an ambassador. The Prince was a how-to book on how to rule a country and how to conduct yourself as ruler. After Machiavelli wrote the Prince he became a chief political figure in the Medici . The Medici were a wealthy banking family that consolidated power in Florence. Machiavelli worked as a political advisor to the family until he died in 1527. Machiavelli’s discusses his ideas in The Prince. In the Prince MachiavelliRead MoreEssay about Virtà ¹ in Machiavelli’s Prince1520 Words   |  7 Pagesof modern political philosophy: The Prince. Given this image, it is incredibly ironic that the Italian word virtà ¹ and its derivatives appear no less than seventy-two times throughout the work. While the translator goes to great lengths to adapt this versatile word to the context of the situation, it is nevertheless clear that virtà ¹ is closely related to its English cognate virtue. This, along with the political nature of Machiavelli’s work, shapes the discourse about the nature of princedoms intoRead MoreAnalysis Of Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince 1625 Words   |  7 Pageshistories. His more popular works included those call the Discourses on Li vy and The Prince-which will be described further more in this paper. Unlike fellow notable Renaissance men such as Leonardo de Vinci or Michelango, Machiavelli was not an artist but through his work The Prince, he has been made well-known across the western lands. This piece of work, for which Machiavelli is famous, or infamous for writing, explains in detail what a prince(name for the leader of a state) needs to do for successfulRead MoreEssay Commanding Lady Fortune: Machiavelli’s Theory of History1637 Words   |  7 PagesCommanding Lady Fortune: Machiavelli’s Theory of History Machiavelli opens his Discourses on Livy by declaring that what will follow will be entirely revolutionary—â€Å"a path yet untrodden by anyone†Ã¢â‚¬â€but then quickly backs down from such assertions, shifting his focus away from his own efforts to the modern views of the ancients, and leaving the nature of this revolutionary undertaking ambiguous (Discourses, 5) . Indeed, the purpose of the whole work is repeatedly skirted in the preface. MachiavelliRead More Machiavellian Folly in The Prince Essay1696 Words   |  7 PagesMachiavellian Folly in The Prince      Ã‚  Ã‚   In the annals of history, many individuals have contributed great works of literature, waxing philosophically on the meaning of life, death, and love.  Ã‚   Niccolo Machiavelli wrote not on love or life, but on power:   How to capture it, how to consolidate it, and how to defend it against all comers.   His work has been talked about and dissected to the extent that his subject matter and methods have earned their own moniker:   Machiavellian.   Nonetheless,