May 3, 1469: Niccolo Machiavelli born

[iceprince]

On this day in 1469, the Italian philosopher and writer Niccolo Machiavelli is born. A lifelong patriot and diehard proponent of a unified Italy, Machiavelli became one of the fathers of modern political theory.

Machiavelli entered the political service of his native Florence by the time he was 29. As defense secretary, he distinguished himself by executing policies that strengthened Florence politically. He soon found himself assigned diplomatic missions for his principality, through which he met such luminaries as Louis XII of France, Pope Julius II, the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, and perhaps most importantly for Machiavelli, a prince of the Papal States named Cesare Borgia. The shrewd and cunning Borgia later inspired the title character in Machiavelli's famous and influential political treatise The Prince (1532).

Machiavelli's political life took a downward turn after 1512, when he fell out of favor with the powerful Medici family. He was accused of conspiracy, imprisoned, tortured and temporarily exiled. It was an attempt to regain a political post and the Medici family's good favor that Machiavelli penned The Prince, which was to become his most well-known work.

Though released in book form posthumously in 1532, The Prince was first published as a pamphlet in 1513. In it, Machiavelli outlined his vision of an ideal leader: an amoral, calculating tyrant for whom the end justifies the means. The Prince not only failed to win the Medici family's favor, it also alienated him from the Florentine people. Machiavelli was never truly welcomed back into politics, and when the Florentine Republic was reestablished in 1527, Machiavelli was an object of great suspicion. He died later that year, embittered and shut out from the Florentine society to which he had devoted his life.

Though Machiavelli has long been associated with the practice of diabolical expediency in the realm of politics that was made famous in The Prince, his actual views were not so extreme. In fact, in such longer and more detailed writings as Discourses on the First Ten Books of Livy (1517) and History of Florence (1525), he shows himself to be a more principled political moralist. Still, even today, the term "Machiavellian" is used to describe an action undertaken for gain without regard for right or wrong.


Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/loch-ness-monster-sighted

[charliehouse]

Para sakin lang, strictly speaking Machiavelli was not really a philosopher, he was merely stating the political situation in Italy at that time...

[iceprince]

Para sakin lang, strictly speaking Machiavelli was not really a philosopher, he was merely stating the political situation in Italy at that time...

Siguro that time, yung mga naiisip niya/ views ay hindi normal para sa mga taong nakakausap niya...

That would be a good way to be called a philosopher... Your thinking is out of the box...
 

[charliehouse]

Siguro that time, yung mga naiisip niya/ views ay hindi normal para sa mga taong nakakausap niya...

That would be a good way to be called a philosopher... Your thinking is out of the box...
 

Nope, power struggles and cunning politics was already practiced at that time even before during the greeks and romans...

[iceprince]

Eto tiningnan ko lang sa Google...

Isa siyang Political Philosopher...


Niccolo Machiavelli, a well-known writer of political philosophy, has contributed much that is controversial to modern political thought and political philosophy. His short book, "The Prince," was designed as a practical guide for royalty. Whereas much prior and subsequent political philosophy has centered around idealism and how government should operate, "The Prince" is most often viewed as an account of how government does operate. There is still some debate surrounding the purpose of "The Prince." While most believe that it was straightforward advice designed for the ruling class, others have claimed that it is satire designed to mock the hypocritical ways in which royalty rule their subjects.

When something is described as Machiavellian, it's typically a pejorative term claiming that an action is cruel, manipulative, or overly dictatorial. While there were many dictatorial suggestions in "The Prince", the reality is that Machiavelli's philosophy is a bit more nuanced than it is often given credit for.

Machiavelli argues in favor of a strong army, claiming that it is the foundation upon which the state is built. Without a defense force, the state cannot continue to exist. He cautions, however, against using mercenaries or contract labor in the military, claiming that this sort of labor cannot be trusted to be fully dedicated to the nation.

Perhaps the most controversial component of "The Prince" is Machiavelli's claims about the virtues of Princes. He points out that it is nearly impossible for a man to be virtuous enough for his subjects to respect him. Instead, he argues, a Prince should merely appear to be virtuous rather than wasting time striving to actually be virtuous. The reputation of the ruler is of significant importance. Further, a Prince who is respected by his subjects is unlikely to face treasonous conspiracy or assassination attempts, so it is worthwhile for a Prince to work to obtain his subjects' respect, both through appearing to be virtuous and through demonstrations that he should be feared.

Machiavelli warns that a prince who is too generous will raise his subjects' expectations and will not be able to fulfill them. The nation will be financially insolvent. Thus for Machiavelli it is better for a Prince to be seen as a miser than seen as overly generous.

Perhaps the most famous Machiavellian quote is, " it is much safer to be feared than loved". Taken out of context, this can seem particularly harsh. In context, Machiavelli is claiming that it is ideal to be loved and feared, but that it is difficult to be both. In order to maintain power, it is better for a Prince to be feared. A Prince should be occasionally cruel because it lessens the likelihood of rebellion and gains the respect of subjects and troops alike.

A Prince should further be counseled by wise and intelligent people and should not trust people or allow them into his good graces merely because they flatter him.

Machiavelli believes that a Prince who follows his advice will be successful, respected, and able to rule over a peaceful nation.

[charliehouse]

^ Like I said, "para sakin lang"... and if you insist here's a detailed insight from philosophynow

Machiavelli was not a philosopher in the narrow sense of the word, or even a particularly systematic thinker, and The Prince, which was written hastily, is not a rigorous philosophical treatise. Yet because of its many penetrating insights into the nature of political life in general, and the striking boldness and originality of Machiavelli’s thoughts on, for example, the nature of power or the relationship between ethics and politics, it has long enjoyed an exalted place in the small canon of great works in the history of political philosophy.

[jamesbond]

Nice history backgrounder... Enjoy lang tayo...