Discourses on Livy

With the 2016 Presidential elections coming up right around the corner, the date of November 8th continues to flush dread into the hearts of the voters. Considering the almost equally divided voter pool and two equally disliked candidates, the nation is contemplating some of the biggest issues of present day society as a means of distinguishing between the two opposing arguments. Nevertheless, there is one issue that Secretary Hillary Clinton and Mr. Donald J. Trump agree on: income inequality…

Hobbes refutes Machiavelli’s arguments concerning an ideal prince by arguing against Machiavelli’s rejection of natural law, his subsequent alteration of justice, and his misapplication of the good life. Hobbes begins by refuting Machiavelli’s rejection of natural law. While both men cite the nature of man as violent whether in acquisition through force, or a standing disposition of war, Hobbes argues that this bent of men stands in opposition to natural law. While men remain independent…

state of mind concerning religion. He needs placement within the context of his society and peers as well. His internal fight with humanism largely played a role in shaping his worldview. However, the paper focus’s mainly on The Prince and the Discourses of Livy in an effort to note the way in which Machiavelli portrays religion. From there the project would look at the influence of the ancient writings and religion on Machiavelli. It’s probable that the paper, depending on the length, might, at…

Socrates and Machiavelli are two of the most famous (or infamous) names in political philosophy, even to this day. Separated by hundreds of years of knowledge and experience, these two great minds offer contrasting viewpoints on the subject of political stability and how it should be maintained. While they share the same end goal and existed in times of similar political instability, given the chance, Socrates would quickly reject Machiavelli’s concept of a Prince or Principality as it entails a…

In his book, J. Patrick Coby describes how Thomas Cromwell and his politics were influenced by Marsilius of Padua and Niccolò Machiavelli. Thomas Cromwell: Machiavellian Statecraft and the English Reformation appears to be written as a work of popular history it reads, however much like a scholarly work of history. The book uses a section outline in which it describes situations based on the subject and it has no exact timeline. The book also lacks footnotes instead of focusing on a large list…

merely does not explicitly engage with his views on human nature within The Prince, however, he presupposes “that all men are bad and that they will use their malignity of mind every time they have the opportunity to” (Machiavelli, Discourses, Book I, ch. 3) in Discourses of Livy. An attentive reader can detect Machiavelli’s “same conviction of deep moral perversion of men” (Machiavelli, Prince, pg 163) by noting his pessimistic tone throughout The Prince as he suggests schemes to the Principes.…

refers to Scipio to illustrate how leaders must maintain order and be feared by their followers. In this allusion, he is referencing both the example of Scipio and the method of Plutarch, while drawing his details from Livy (47) <n. 1>. The allusion to Scipio, Plutarch, and Livy reflects humanistic values as humanists partially based their ideas on the examples of antiquity. The genre that The Prince is written in and the examples from antiquity that Machiavelli uses throughout his…

According to Machiavelli “As every city is divided into guilds or into societies, he ought to hold such bodies in esteem, and associate with them.” “A wise prince ought to adopt such a course that his citizens will always in every sort and kind of circumstance have need of the state and of him, and then he will always find them faithful.” In the latter case their government is weaker and more insecure, because it rests entirely on the goodwill of those citizens who are raised to the magistracy,…

fighting for Spain. Medici rule was restored. Machiavelli lost his position in government and was imprisoned and tortured. Then he retired and lived on the countryside. In 1513, Machiavelli wrote two important books, The Prince and Discourses on the First Ten Books of Livy. The Prince is a handbook for politicians. It was to teach them how be a great ruler and how to do be ruthless yet smart about it. Later in life he wrote plays and poems. Niccolo was influenced by many other such as Aristotle,…

in the history of the place. To you these are names hard to pronounce, and without meaning [...] And yet it were well for you to know them. That knowledge would be a topography, and a history, and romance, walking by your side, and helping your discourse. Meath tells its flatness, Clonmel the abundant riches of its valley, Fermanagh is the land of the Lakes’ (Davis). Furthermore, when Owen and Yolland are renaming the places, they almost feel as if they are gods who create the places just by…