The prince
By: Niccolò Machiavelli
Contributors: Wildside Press
Publisher: Wildside Press
Published: 2016
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 116
ISBN-13: 9781479420254
Subjects: Political science; Early works to 1800; Political ethics; Morale politique; Ouvrages avant 1800
Other titles: Prince (De Principatibus)
Work titles: Principe
Description: "Machiavellianism" is a widely used negative term to characterize unscrupulous politicians of the sort Machiavelli described most famously in The Prince. Machiavelli described immoral behavior, such as dishonesty and killing innocents, as being normal and effective in politics. He even seemed to endorse it in some situations. The book itself gained notoriety when some readers claimed that the author was teaching evil, and providing "evil recommendations to tyrants to help them maintain their power." The term "Machiavellian" is often associated with political deceit, deviousness, and realpolitik. On the other hand, many commentators, such as Baruch Spinoza, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Denis Diderot, have argued that Machiavelli was actually a Republican, even when writing The Prince, and his writings were an inspiration to Enlightenment proponents of modern democratic political philosophy -- publisher's website.
Notes: Translator not named.