Niccolò Machiavelli was a Renaissance philosopher, best known for his book The Prince, which outlines his philosophy that the ends justify the means in politics. Machiavellian has come to mean ruthlessness, but he emphasized pragmatism. He was a politician in Florence and wrote about effective ways to acquire and maintain political power. He also wrote Discourse on the First Ten Books of Livy, which discusses the superiority of the republic as a political system.
Niccolò Machiavelli was a political philosopher of Renaissance Italy. Though he was also a musician, poet and playwright, he is best remembered today for his philosophy that the ends justify the means in politics, a theory outlined in his most famous work, The Prince. The word Machiavellian has come to mean ruthlessness and manipulation in the modern world, although the philosopher emphasized pragmatism rather than ruthlessness. Indeed, during his lifetime, Machiavellian was referring to a theoretical political system in which power was earned rather than inherited.
Machiavelli was born in Florence on May 3, 1469. He grew up in a politically tumultuous period and entered politics himself at the age of 25, when he became a clerk. The same year, 1494, Florence became a republic, ousting the Medici family from the monarchy. Machiavelli obtained a seat on the council which dealt with diplomatic and military matters, and his work took him to the royal courts of France and Aragon and to the seat of the Pope in Rome. Cesare Borgia, on whom the philosopher is believed to have partially based the Prince, came to power in 1502.
Machiavelli was head of the Florentine militia from 1503 to 1506. In 1512 the Medici were brought back to power and the following year he was arrested on charges of conspiracy. He was tortured but eventually released and spent the rest of his life writing at his private estate just outside Florence. Machiavelli died on June 21, 1527.
In The Prince, Machiavelli discusses effective ways to acquire and maintain political power using examples from his personal observations and ancient texts. The book does not deal with the nature of an ideal ruler or form of government, but rather with the means of gaining control. The philosopher stressed that any method used by the ruler should have the welfare of the state in mind as the ultimate goal and set limits on what he considered acceptable ways to gain control. “The end justifies the means” is a gross oversimplification of his philosophy. Machiavelli emphasized pragmatism and realism, recognizing that ideals were not always achievable.
Machiavelli’s other major work, Discourse on the First Ten Books of Livy, drew on ancient Roman history to discuss the nature and superiority of the republic as a political system. Some scholars consider this work a truer account of his political philosophy than The Prince.
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