Essay Machiavelli in Modern Times - 2058 Words

Machiavelli in Modern Times The fourteenth century was an exciting time in Italy. Liberation from old traditions brought about a new interest in the arts and literature. The churchs doctrine was no longer the sole basis of scholarly work. New ideas and concepts started to emerge which were unlike anything heard since the fall of Rome. Amongst the great thinkers of this time was a man by the name of Niccolo Machiavelli. (C4. and Wood, p.510) His most famous work was entitled, The Prince. The book is a compilation of historical examples past and present ( present being the sixteenth century), that were intended to guide a prince on the correct way to control his state. It advocated the use of any means necessary to survive in the†¦show more content†¦Niccolo taught himself what he could with the few books found in the house. As soon as he was old enough, he took a position as a government clerk. He slowly moved up through the Florentine political ranks until the Florentine Republic was declared. With th e switch in government, Niccolo received his first position of true power as a member of the Florentine Counsel Of Ten, which took on management of the foreign and domestic affairs. (C4.) During the years to come, while under the employment of the Florentine Republic, Machiavelli took part in a multitude of diplomatic missions to neighboring kingdoms such as France. (Strathern, p.28) Through these travels Machiavelli observed many different types of rulers with many different political theories. His observations of these many different doctrines would make up the great body of his later work. (Wood, p. 505) Sadly, Machiavelli fell on hard times when the powerful Medici family took hold of Florence. Machiavelli was striped of position and briefly imprisoned and tortured. Upon his release, Machiavelli became depressed and fought a battle with financial hardship. He was forced to live on a small estate outside of the city called SantAndrea. While there he wrote his most famous works, i ncluding The Prince. Despite the proclamation of a second republic in Florence, Machiavelli was not offered a job. Heartbroken, he was seized by illness and died soon thereafter.Show MoreRelatedMachiavelli was the first â€Å"modern† thinker and the father of realism. During his time, he500 Words   |  2 Pages Machiavelli was the first â€Å"modern† thinker and the father of realism. During his time, he considered rulers barbaric, wanting only money power. Machiavelli also observed human nature in which he came to learn that human nature is self-centered. He believed human nature doesn’t change. Thus, the â€Å"Prince† was written in purpose to how a prince should obtain and hold onto power. Machiavelli discusses five points that a ruler should follow in order to obtain the status of a prince. Machiavelli discussesRead MoreMachiavelli and Gossip Girl1497 Words   |  6 Pagesno longer a characteristic that belongs only to a monarch. In The Prince, Machiavelli targets the prince and all other royalty, but today his work may be used as a social critique of upper class society. Thus, a popular television show depicting Manhattan’s elite governed by social media blasts, is no coincidence. It is evident that the creators of the popular television show Gossip Girl had Machiavelli in mind. Machiavelli and the character of Gossip Girl complement each other in their focus on man’sRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince879 Words   |  4 Pages Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 16th-century. His methods of acquiring and maintaining rule over people are not relevant in today’s modern American society. There are many principles that are still true in politics today, but the methods of ruling can no longer be used in American society today. Niccolà ² Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy in 1496. He was a diplomat in Italy s Florentine Republic for fourteen years. This was during the Medici family exile, and when they returned, MachiavelliRead MoreAnalysis Of Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince 1625 Words   |  7 Pagescentury was a period known as the Renaissance, or the new birth, of many philosophers. One well-known Renaissance thinker, Niccolo Machiavelli, was one of those philosophers whose political views caused an uproar during earlier centuries. His view on effective leadership was rather harsh and not exactly adopted in the Italian society. As a Renaissance citizen, Machiavelli proved his writing skills through a number of works such as short stories, plays, and histories. His more popular works includedRead MoreThe Prince Of Machiavelli s Prince1186 Words   |  5 PagesWhen evaluating the political leaders in modern times there is one leader that wields his power the most like Niccolo Machiavelli’s Prince, from his book The Prince, that leader is President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation. Although, Putin does not hold the title of Prince, he has held influential positions throughout the years, i.e. Prime Minister and Acting President, that hold power similar to the Prince. Every position that Putin has held in Russia he has acted as if he were a PrinceRead MoreThe Dark Ages1647 Words   |  7 Pagesinventions, nor any change in thought to the political and philosophical theories of the time, much of which revolved around religion. This was a prolonged era of stagnation, where anarchy and barbarianism roamed rampant. It wasn’t until the Italian Renaissance began, that people started to take interest in scientific, cultural, philosophical endeavors. This led to many large intellectual movements during this period of time, the largest of which, was Humanism . Pico della Mirandola, a renaissance philosopherRead MoreNiccolà ² Machiavellis Acquisition of Power Essay1327 Words   |  6 PagesNiccolà ² Machiavelli is representative of Renaissance thinkers in his perception of government. No longer was government seen as an institution granted by God but rather governments were largely becoming arrangements or contracts between those that govern and the governed. Thinkers from Aristotle to Francis Bacon would expound on this idea of a social contract, but none would exemplify the realism and ruthlessness of modern politics like Machiavelli. While the word Machiavellian has become partRead MoreEssay Commanding Lady Fortune: Machiavelli’s Theory of History1637 Words   |  7 PagesMachiavelli’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. Machiavelli instead focuses on the distinctionRead MoreModern Political Theory: Rousseau and Machiavelli Essay962 Words   |  4 Pages Machiavelli and Rousseau, both influential philosophers, were innovators of their time. They represented different ideas on what the state of nature and government should consist of, having both similarities and differences. Their viewpoints evolved from different time periods, which make them unique. Machiavelli, the sixteenth century Italian diplomat expressed, that a Prince should be unethica l in achieving power. He argued that to be successful in politics certain qualities were of importanceRead MoreEssay about Niccolo Machiavelli1653 Words   |  7 Pages According to legend, just before his death, Niccolo Machiavelli told his friends that had remained faithful to him up until the very end about a dream he had had. In his dream, he had seen a group of peasants, wretched and decrepit in appearance. He asked them who they were. They replied, ‘We are the saintly and the blessed; we are on our way to heaven.’ Then he saw a crowd of formally attired men, aristocratic and grim in appearance, speaking solemnly of important political matters. Again, he