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#11
Dec 11 2010 01:03pm
Quote (montecito @ Dec 11 2010 09:10am)
One thing to keep in mind is that there are now a lot of scholars who believe The Prince was actually written as a satirical letter to Lorenzo di Medici and was not meant to be viewed as a serious work.


I don't know if I'd go that far. The most common view (based on what I learned in a class with a major Machiavelli scholar) is that Machiavelli was sort of compelled to write the Prince, but that he did write it seriously (again, with the prospects of punishment, including death, hanging over his head). That said, his "Discourses on Livy" are generally assumed to be closer to what he believed was best. Unfortunately the Discourses are rather long, dry, and nowhere near as fun to read as "The Prince." No "killing the son's of Brutus" and all that.
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#12
Dec 11 2010 01:16pm
Quote (JEB90 @ Dec 11 2010 07:03pm)
I don't know if I'd go that far.  The most common view (based on what I learned in a class with a major Machiavelli scholar) is that Machiavelli was sort of compelled to write the Prince, but that he did write it seriously (again, with the prospects of punishment, including death, hanging over his head).  That said, his "Discourses on Livy" are generally assumed to be closer to what he believed was best. Unfortunately the Discourses are rather long, dry, and nowhere near as fun to read as "The Prince."  No "killing the son's of Brutus" and all that.


thats why it is recommended to read critics of his writings rather than the original which might be a bit boring...
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#13
Dec 12 2010 10:41am
Quote (JEB90 @ Dec 11 2010 07:03pm)
I don't know if I'd go that far.  The most common view (based on what I learned in a class with a major Machiavelli scholar) is that Machiavelli was sort of compelled to write the Prince, but that he did write it seriously (again, with the prospects of punishment, including death, hanging over his head).  That said, his "Discourses on Livy" are generally assumed to be closer to what he believed was best. Unfortunately the Discourses are rather long, dry, and nowhere near as fun to read as "The Prince."  No "killing the son's of Brutus" and all that.


Well he was in exile, but from what I've come to understand, there was no reason for him to be fearful of being killed. But I could be wrong.
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#14
Dec 13 2010 04:57pm
Quote (JEB90 @ Dec 11 2010 07:03pm)
I don't know if I'd go that far.  The most common view (based on what I learned in a class with a major Machiavelli scholar) is that Machiavelli was sort of compelled to write the Prince, but that he did write it seriously (again, with the prospects of punishment, including death, hanging over his head).  That said, his "Discourses on Livy" are generally assumed to be closer to what he believed was best. Unfortunately the Discourses are rather long, dry, and nowhere near as fun to read as "The Prince."  No "killing the son's of Brutus" and all that.


I remember reading somewhere in the preface of the Prince that Machiavelli was writing the Prince as a gesture to curry favor with the political leadership of his time so that he could achieve advancement for himself. I'm not sure since all I know about the Prince is based on my reading of exerts and hearse.

Regardless the work is significant and should be read if you are serious about philosophy.
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#15
Dec 13 2010 06:24pm
Voltaire from the age of Enlightenment (y)
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