Machiavelli's influence

[Hiero]

Was Machiavelli's book the Pince taken seriously by the lord that he wrote it to, I have noticed in moveis mainly foriegn that are set back in the 15th 16th centuary the will refer to Machiavelli. So was he influential im no good on the period of history.

[redstar2000]

It seems to me that while he was a moderately influential figure in Florentine politics early in his life, he backed the wrong family and died in obscurity.

I suspect his book was something of an "underground cult classic" until the 18th century.

The best thing to do when you are curious about some historical figure is first do a google search and see what turns up. Sometimes it won't be a whole lot...but you'll at least get a glimpse or two of what the person was about.

:redstar2000:

The Redstar2000 Papers (http://www.redstar2000papers.vze.com)
A site about communist ideas

[El Che]

The lord he wrote it to was Lorenzo de Medici, a Florentine prince, patron of the arts and playboy. He was a powerful man but not a head of state or a conquerer.

I've read The Prince and its entertaining but its hardly a serious work.

"Men ought either to be indulged or utterly destroyed, for if you merely offend them they take vengeance, but if you injure them greatly they are unable to retaliate, so that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared" - Machiavelli

[Hiero]

I find that book so inspiring, its such a good read. So straight forward and dirty, one of the great books writing. But it seems he was sucking up to Lorenzo de Medici to get bake into possition of a statesman.

Lorenzo de Medici was this the Lorenzo de Medici who got shot in the leg and died 7 days latter when he fought agaisnt the holy roman empire. I watched a movie about it the other night, it was spanish or french and when de Medici (as he is referred to) is laying in bed in the tent a soilder is reading and he asked him to read to him and it turns out his reading The Prince.

[SittingBull47]

hardly a serious work?

His book was very serious. It's basically a rule book for power politics and he had some great ideas in there.

[El Che]

Serious in academic terms not fictional ones of course.

[Saddie-sad]

I did a project on Machievalli. Machiavelli is a master of manipulation, or at least that is what his book is basied on. It was burtally honest which of course disturbed the people in charge alot at this time. Much with the insulting of the rulers...blah blah. It looks intriging. I plan to read it as soon as my bloody reading list thins out a bit.

[apathy maybe]

Machiavelli's Prince is one of the books that every good communist should read. It lays out many of the ideas of the 'Capitalist class'; examples of people who came to power and stayed in power include such people as Stalin, Mussolini (until he backed the wrong horse), Franco, Hussein (Sadam) (until he pissed off a powerful country).

Franco and Stalin are good examples of how to run a country for your benefit. Both ran their countries until they died. Surround yourself with people who have more to lose with out you then with you. Make your people fear and love you. Kill off any opposition. Don't piss off countries more powerful then you (something Franco did well, the USA even supported Franco 'cause he wasn't 'red'). And if you play your cards right you got 'dictator for life' on your office door before you know it.

[Wenty]

It has been suggested he only wrote the book to get back into favour with the local mafia, led by Lorenzo de Medici as said before.

Shouldn't this be in philosophy? The book is political philosophy.

[Hiero]

No we werent discussing the content just the impact. So history is right.

[God of Imperia]

I despice any kind of dictatorship, but I must say I have respect for Machiavelli, he was truly an enlightened man and a great thinker.

[Ziggy]

Unless I'm wrong, Machiavelli was all about absolutistism (or what would be called absolutistism anyways) and influenced absolutist thought. He may have been born before the rise of absolutist monarchs (best example is France with King Louis XIV) but his book set standards for how a monarch should rule so I'd have to say he was very influential, if not in his time in the 100 years or so