While some may call him a failed politician or a hypocrit for his inconsistencies or an immortal tyrant, Niccolò Machiavelli attempted to live his life with the circumstances given to him and tried to help others practically navigate the volatile times. His "The Prince" depicts a more radical side than all his other works combined, thus giving the impression that he was a moral less man. It is in the two decades after his death that his name and reputation would be protected by those close to him, and in doing so refurbished his popularity amongst the Florentines and Italians alike. Not only did his most notorious political work reach the printing press, but his "Discourses" and plays did as well, along with his dozens of other works. Amongst Florence today the city has collected the remains of many deceased Florentines, the respected and the wrongfully exiled, in an effort to give back to those that left a mark on history. Joining figures like Dante and Michaelangelo, Machiavelli's remains were located and placed in a decorated tomb complete with sculpture and plaque in 1787. These people best represented Florence, and Machiavelli prominently stands as a true patriot even when cast out by the city itself and for never corrupting to political greed as so many had done in his time.
Machiavelli best exemplifies the transition between the ancient idealism and modern criticism which embodies the beginning of the Renaissance. Where his contemporaries focused on the world for how it should be based on Christian ethics, Machiavelli tells of how a ruler should seek power and what to limit when needed. The ability to be critical allowed him to see past preconceived notions for how things should be done and allow for innovation to take place. It's no wonder that Protestant religions begin to materialize during this time period since the dawn of a new age in thought was about to take place in Europe. A person that truly wanted the best for his fellow man shows how the the world would be moving from the barbaric Middle Ages and move into more sophisticated thinking.
While his writings may seem like a harbinger of the change to come, it goes without saying that his work was still rooted in the old city state closed mindedness. Attempting to break this shell, he remains a part of the past that depended on the might of armies rather than true diplomatic and peaceful measures to take place. Yet, this ability to notice the importance of new thought shows how the world was not quite ready for his new ideas.
Machiavelli had wanted to give his city state Florence the best chance of survival in a world of powerful external forces, and he believed that his political theory could assist its ruler to navigate them through the tumultuous times. In a time period of new discoveries and divisions, such as the Americas and the Protestant Reformation, Machiavelli stood out as one of the first historical figures to truly exemplify what it means to create new ideas based on a philosophy. While his name may be synonymous with a person seeking personal goals with malicious intent, his actual purposes of bettering the lives of his fellow citizens is anything but what he is seen as today.
While his writings may seem like a harbinger of the change to come, it goes without saying that his work was still rooted in the old city state closed mindedness. Attempting to break this shell, he remains a part of the past that depended on the might of armies rather than true diplomatic and peaceful measures to take place. Yet, this ability to notice the importance of new thought shows how the world was not quite ready for his new ideas.
Machiavelli had wanted to give his city state Florence the best chance of survival in a world of powerful external forces, and he believed that his political theory could assist its ruler to navigate them through the tumultuous times. In a time period of new discoveries and divisions, such as the Americas and the Protestant Reformation, Machiavelli stood out as one of the first historical figures to truly exemplify what it means to create new ideas based on a philosophy. While his name may be synonymous with a person seeking personal goals with malicious intent, his actual purposes of bettering the lives of his fellow citizens is anything but what he is seen as today.
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Bronzino, Agnolo. A Portrait Of Giuliano Di Piero De' Medici. N.d. Wikiart. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Carta Della Catena. C. 1490. Museo De Firenzi Com'era, Florence. Kings Academy. Miles H. Hodges, 2014. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Cesare Borgia. N.d. Paradox Place. Adrian Fletcher. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Charles VIII. N.d. Alchetron. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Christie, R., and F. Geis. "Machiavellianism Test." Personality Testing. Machiavellianism Test, 1970. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Do the ends justify the means? Digital image. Debate. Getinthevan57, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. .
Ghirlandaio, Ridolfo. Piero Soderini. C. 1500. Fondazione Federico Zeri. Università Di Bologna. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Hitler, Adolf, and Eher Verlag. Mein Kampf. Digital image. Read the Booklist. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. .
Hornqvist, Mikael. "Perche Non Si Usa Allegare i Pomani: Machiavelli and the Florentine Militia of 1506." Renaissance Quarterly 55.1 (2002): 148-91. ProQuest. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Howes, Dustin Ells. "CREATING NECESSITY: WELL-USED VIOLENCE IN THE THOUGHT OF MACHIAVELLI." Symploke 20.1 (2012): 183,207,427. ProQuest. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Italy in 1494, before the invasion of Charles VIII of France. Digital image. Wikiwand. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. .
Jurdjevic, Mark. "Virtue, Fortune, and Blame in Machiavelli's Life and the Prince." Social Research 81.1 (2014): 1,30,269. ProQuest. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Manetta, Valter. Gerolamo Savonarola. 2011. Florence. Sky Scraper City. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Marjorie O'Rourke Boyle. "Machiavelli and the Politics of Grace." MLN 119.1 (2004): S224-46. ProQuest. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
"Niccolò Machiavelli." YouTube. The School of Life, 19 June 2015. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Pope Leo X. N.d. NNDB. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. .
Santi, Tito. Niccolò Machiavelli. N.d. KALW. Devon Strolovich, 19 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Steve. The Ends Justify The Means. Digital image. The Writer's Page. N.p., 16 Aug. 2015. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. .
Tarcov, Nathan. "Belief and Opinion in Machiavelli's Prince." The Review of Politics75.4 (2013): 573-86. ProQuest. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
"The Prince Summary." YouTube. NovoPrep.com, 19 Sept. 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. .
The Tomb of Machiavelli. 2014. Florence. The Italian Tribune. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Unger, Miles. Machiavelli: A Biography. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 2011. Print.
Watterson, Bill. "Calvin and Hobbes." Go Comics. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. .