Machiavelli Heir To Civic Humanism Analysis

Machiavelli is the “heir… to civic humanism” because he is keenly aware that any advice towards the ruling elite may be seen as a threat, and so he must validate his opinions through the use of examples from romanticized ancient Rome and Greece to show that his opinions were not an issue, but the truth behind them which would remain true even at his death or expulsion threatened the stability of any government. As is the case with Renaissance humanism, Machiavelli drew comparisons from knowledge of the ancient world to the world in which he lived, evaluating each based on each other. He took particular interest in the actions of the leaders, specifically the key points in history which led to their rise to and fall from power. He attempts to create rules or guidelines for future leaders to follow based on any consistencies he saw, giving him the title of “heir…to civic humanism.” Without further inquiry here it is impossible to say to what extent Machiavelli romanticized the ancient times, as he may have been picking and choosing stories which best aligned with his views, omitting contrary evidence, or he may have been using all the works available to him at the time. …show more content…
This may have been done in self-preservation as he made it clear in his work that dissenters against princes, as well as those who achieved great things in the name of the prince, are at constant risk. In this way he alerted the public to any suspicious events which may befall him after writing and distributing his work. He was likely hoping that by including these chapters he would keep from being targeted as they would know it would do them no good, as the guidelines still apply, despite his death or expulsion from the