Study Like a Boss
Being a Cripple, Greasy Lake, Infant Books, Nickel and Dimed, Pedagogy of The Oppressed, Stephen King, Thank You Ma Am, The Plastic Pink Flamingo: a Natural History, The World Is Flat, Why Nations Fail, 1984, A Raisin in The Sun, Animal Farm, Beowulf, Fahrenheit 451, Frankenstein, George Orwell, Hamlet, Into The Wild, Lord of The Flies, A Modest Proposal, All Quiet on The Western Front, Allegory, Antigone, Between The World and Me.
The extreme positions advanced in Machiavelli’s The Prince have been the subject of debate ever since it was written. Scholars in the 18th Century, unable to accept such an unrestrained endorsement of murder and tyranny, made the case that the work was actually political satire. Other scholars insist that though Machiavelli’s ideas are immoral and extreme, they were … Read more
General Introduction Niccolo Machiavelli was a 16th Century political theorist. Since his name is become synonymous with his political theories, the question often becomes who is Machiavelli? But the answer is in the book The Prince. The Prince was likely written in 1513 in manuscript form and distributed among a few people, but the text as it has come … Read more
Written just two years after being driven from office as a diplomat, The Prince was originally intended to be part of a larger work entitled “On Principalities.” This short book is the only extent part of that original text, first published in 1532. Chapters 1-11 examine the various types of principalities or principates. The text offers examples … Read more
Quotations and Analysis “At this point one may note that men must be either pampered or annihilated. They avenge light offenses; they cannot avenge severe ones; hence, the harm one does to a man must be such as to obviate any fear of revenge.” This quote is from Chapter 3 and it demonstrates the emphasis on … Read more
Important Themes Statesmanship and War Machiavelli firmly believes that the soundness of the state is derived from a powerful military. He is not an advocate of democracy. The ruler derives his authority and power entirely from his ability to conquer and destroy all enemies—even potential enemies. He sums this up when he says that “the … Read more
Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are, and those few dare not oppose themselves to the opinion of the many, who have the majesty of the state to defend them. – Nicolo Machiavelli, from The Prince Italian political theorist Nicolo Machiavelli speculated that the strongest leaders are ones … Read more
It is important to understand that there are certain key factors to be kept in mind in any analysis of Niccolo Machiavelli’s most famous work, “The Prince. ” Perhaps the most notable of these is the relatively simple fact that Machiavelli was not presenting his story from a malicious viewpoint but from his beliefs regarding … Read more