Niccolò Machiavelli was an Italian Renaissance historian, politician, diplomat, philosopher and writer. He is considered the founder of modern political science. Machiavelli served as a Florentine official and wrote two of his most famous works, The Prince and Discourses on Livy, to advise rulers on how to maintain power. He took a pragmatic approach, arguing rulers should prioritize strengthening the state over traditional Christian ethics and morality. Machiavelli believed a strong, centralized state led by a powerful prince was needed to unite Italy's divided regions and overcome corruption. His writings had a profound impact on modern political thought by separating politics from religion and ethics.

1. Presented By:
Dr. TRIPTI SHARMA.

2.  One of several famous Italian Renaissance figures.
Although most of these men were known for their
visual arts (paintings and sculptures), Machiavelli
was famous for his writings.
 (1469-1527) was an Italian writer and politician
during the Renaissance.
 Spent most of his adult life in Florence and served
as a government official there.
 Many historians credit Machiavelli as the founder
of political science because of how his work and
writings shaped modern politics. Political Science
is the study of governments and politics.

3.  The Prince
 The Discourses
 The Art of War
 History of Elorence

4.  Historical
 Observational
 Realistic
 Scientific
 Comparative
 Analytical

5.  Machiavelli is considered as the father of modern political
theory and political science. Apart from conjecturing about
the state, he also given meaning to the concept of
sovereignty.
 Nation State supporter : Italy was divided into 5 parts which
had the possibility of being attacked. Machiavelli wanted to
unite the parts into one as he believed that it is better. He
kept the nation state at the top of any other institute.
 Laws were not divine : He said that man made the laws
hence, they may have merits and demerits and also can be
amended. This is a modern thought as during Machiavelli’s
time, the state was ruled by the pope and he was considered
equal to God. No, one dared to go against the laws and
orders of the pope. As we see today laws can be amended
according to the needs of the society and people.

6.  Modern nature of state : Machiavelli told that state has the
power of compulsion. If someone is not performing his/her
duties, state has the right to make him/her do that duty and
that person is bound to do that. Today, in India, Mandamus
is an example. He also gave the concept of welfare state.
 Differentiated religion and Politics : He said that religion
and politics can not go together as religion is a personal
matter and politics is a public matter. This was said when
these two were practiced together as pope handled the
political issues. But Machiavelli didn't considered it as a
successful practice.
 Supporter of sovereignty : He never gave a particular
definition of sovereignty but he do explained it. He said that
state was different from other institutions as it has
sovereignty and sovereignty can not be given or taken.
 Power politics : He said that power is important, whether of
money or strength. He suggested the king that he should be
fearless and should use his power whenever necessary.
Power indeed is an important factor which cannot be
ignored and this is the reason why he is called the realistic
thinker.

7.  Machiavelli had gained immense fame in
developing political thought. He was an Italian
Renaissance historian, politician, diplomat,
philosopher, humanist, and writer. He has often been
referred as the originator of modern political
science.
 He was the first thinker who freed political science
or theory from the clutches of religion and morality.

8.  Absolutism
 Reason of the State
 Power Politics and Self-Sufficient State
 Politics and Religion
 Idea about State
 Omnipotent Legislator

9. SABINE:-
 “No man of his age saw so clearly the direction
that political evolution was taking throughout
Europe. No man knew better than he the archaism
of the institutions that were being displaced or
accepted more readily the part that naked force
was playing in the process. Yet no one in that age
appreciated more highly the inchoate sense of
national unity on which this force was obscurely
based. No one was more clearly aware of the moral
and political corruption that went with the decay
of long-accustomed loyalties and pieties”.

10.  Machiavelli had profound knowledge about social and
political conditions of Italy and that created a lot of
frustration and agony in his mind.
 He was a great patriot and he thought that Italy could
be saved from this ignoble condition. He, for that
reason, adopted an uncompromising stand. He, it is
true, took an uncompromising attitude towards
religion, morality and ethics.
 The dominating role of church and papacy was
primarily responsible for the all-round deterioration of
human society. He pinpointed it and suggested a way
out. We may not agree with his suggestion, but the
mere fact is that he had no other solution.
“Indoctrinated as he was in the pagan revival in Italy
he was unable both by training and temperament to
grasp the constitutional and the moral ideals that
European politics would carry over from the Middle
Ages”

11.  At the beginning of the sixteenth century
constitutionalism was not highly rated as a good
palliative for social and political malady. He
understood the malady and applied his knowledge
and experience. We may not agree but we cannot
blame him.
 He was a materialist and, at the same time, realist.
Berki says that Machiavelli had clear conception about
all the aspects of his contemporary society. Let us
quote few words from Berki – of course, in truth
Machiavelli’s cynicism and practical concern are not
the most important things about him, what we have to
realize is that he had a clear and by no means ignoble,
political vision” Every political philosopher is the
product of his time and Machiavelli is no exception.
Plato, Aristotle, Marx all luminaries fall within this
category. He believed that only a powerful prince
could save Italy.

12.  If we judge Machiavelli in a conventional way it will be
found that he was guilty—guilty in the sense that he
advised prince and politician to ignore morality and
ethics. But he is to be judged in the background of his
time and if we do this our conclusion will be of
different nature. He is a thinker par excellence. His
knowledge about contemporary political situation was
really laudable. What he said is quite natural. He was a
patriot, he was a practical man. Applying the best of
his knowledge he advised the prince in such manner.
 Dunning said “The influence of Machiavelli upon the
history of political theories can hardly be exaggerated.
Not only the method and substance of his philosophy
but also the marvelous literary art with which it was
expressed served to win for its universal attention” .
We appreciate Dunning’s assessment. His literary art is
praiseworthy, but more praiseworthy is his good
command over real situation of his contemporary Italy.

13.  His idea of power politics is absolutely pragmatic.
His advice to the prince was— if he wants to
achieve unity and progress of his state his sole aim
would be to make his state militarily powerful and
to that extent he must ignore Christian values,
moral considerations and ethical judgments.
 Interesting to note that in the second half of the
twentieth century the leaders of the superpowers
followed the same track which created several
crises.
 We do not know whether Machiavelli’s prince
followed his advice. But politician of seventies and
eighties of the twentieth century exactly did the
same thing. Machiavelli’s state is the real state.

14.  His idea of power politics is absolutely pragmatic.
His advice to the prince was— if he wants to
achieve unity and progress of his state his sole aim
would be to make his state militarily powerful and
to that extent he must ignore Christian values, moral
considerations and ethical judgments.
 Interesting to note that in the second half of the
twentieth century the leaders of the superpowers
followed the same track which created several
crises.
 We do not know whether Machiavelli’s prince
followed his advice. But politician of seventies and
eighties of the twentieth century exactly did the
same thing. Machiavelli’s state is the real state.

15.  It is never the embodiment of Christian values or
morality. The state has an autonomous value and
that value is the power of the state. This is the
reason of the state. He advised his prince to
make the republic as strong as possible so that it
would have not to depend upon others.

16.  The Renaissance brought about an upheaval in
the social, political and to some extent in the
economic sphere of many European states and
Machiavelli’s Florence or other states were no
exception.

17.  Establishment of strong monarchies
 Rise of National States
 Division of Italy: Machiavelli’s contemporary Italy
was divided into the following five states- Kingdom
Naples in the south, Milan in the North West, and
Venice in the north-east, the Republic of Florence,
and the Papal state.
 Pope as the hindrance in the unity of Italy
 Bad condition of society of Italy
 Fraud & diplomacy followed by the weak states of
Italy

18.  the unification of Italy was the burning question
because it was strongly felt that without unification
any progress was impossible.
 Not only this, the whole of Italy was under the
strong grip of corruption and mismanagement.
 A strong and powerful ruler was the need of the
time and Machiavelli focused his attention to that.
His conviction was that only a powerful prince
could save Italy from disunity, profligacy and
debauchery.
 This division of Italy, Machiavelli was convinced,
was the root cause of the backwardness and
numerous ills from which Italy suffered.

19. ARISTOTLE
 Idea of Separation of Ethics & Politics
 Empirical and historical method
 State is the highest organization
 Types of Government
 Self interest: the most potent of all factors of
political motivation
MARSILIO
 Secularism

20.  Man is completely self centered and egoistic
 Man is essentially aggressive
 Men are stupid and irrational
 Men love new things
 Love & Fear are powerful constituents of
human nature
 Love of wealth is a powerful motive
 Men are jealous
 Men are ambitious
 Men want freedom

21.  Man is compound of evil and good
 Not a scientific analysis
 Establishes fear as the basis of state
 Man is not incorrigible

22.  For Machiavelli, state has its origin in the
calculating self interest on the part of individuals.
For, human beings are selfish, egoistic and
ambitious, but weak and fickle.
 The state for Machiavelli is an artificial creation.
 Machiavelli identifies three kinds of state, viz.,
monarchy, aristocracy and republic. He neglected
aristocracy, hailed republic as best but favored
monarchy in Italy which was plagued by many
problems.

23.  State exists only on account of interplay of material interests.
Likewise, he makes the Church subservient to the state.
 Machiavelli supports the constitution of state by citizens with
spirit of probity, law abidingness, and trustworthiness in the
performance of public duties.
 Machiavelli puts faith in the reality of power politics. For
him, there remains an inherent tendency in states to expand
and continue. To quote him, “All free governments have two
principal ends: one of which is to preserve their liberties and
the other to enlarge their dominions”.
 Machiavelli is in favour of maintaining a national army
without which a state cannot survive for longer period, so he
advocates military training for citizens between the age of 17
and 40.
 Though, Machiavelli considered force and fear as
important ingredient in administration, he does not
relegate the significance of law. He regards it as an
important aspect in inculcating ‘virtue’ among citizens.

24.  Machiavelli believed that Florence’s citizens needed: a strong
Prince; a nation composed of relatively powerless people which
was best served by a powerful and centralized government, which
would make their decisions for them and aggressively defend
their interests to the betterment of all fortune. A skilful statesman
should have the ability to make use of it, but not to rely upon the
fortuitous events, which might occur in his career.
 He saw virtue as ruthlessness and all that goes with it: Bravery;
courage; strength; vigor and prowess, although these virtue's
don’t guarantee success, because this means relying on fortune.
Machiavelli believed the best methods of defence are those based
on your own virtue and virtue is the key to achieving success
amid the changes of fortunes.
 Machiavelli’s theories on the state are essentially idealistic and
possibly unrealistic but the city of Florence’s welfare was always
his first priority, he was devoted to Florence with its fine
architecture and talented, artistic people. Machiavelli loved his
native city “ more than his own soul”. He was basically a generous
and good man. He had a dream that he would see the redemption
of Italy and a society of good and pure men.

25.  Machiavelli was a practical politician who was greatly
disturbed by the conditions of his native state. He
never claimed to be political philosopher. His ‘Prince’
contains the tips given to the fictional prince.
 The ‘Prince’ as mainly a handbook on the art of ruling
and maintaining oneself in power in his advice; he is
mainly concerned with the actual state of his time
without bothering about its origin, nature, functions
etc. Allen says “The Prince was written of a Prince, for
a Prince and for no one else”?
 However in subsequent period, his ideas were
concretized to develop a systematic whole. The
following are the various ideas of Machiavelli on state
that can be said to have formed into a systematic
political theory.

26.  To use power ruthlessly
 To use persuasion artfully
 To act decisively
 To maintain a strong national army
 To be well versed in the art of war
 To be popular among the people
 To be better feared than loved
 To abstain from property and women of
subjects

27.  To be good showman
 To destroy liberty
 To choose his own counselors
 To be watchful in economic affairs
 To avoid flatterers
 To posses virtue
 To observe utmost secrecy
 To abstain from property & women of subjects
 To be popular among the people
 To create public spirit
 To play fox & lion when necessary

28.  The Discourses provides a different viewpoint on
politics. The work is a defence of republics, as the
best form of government for preserving liberty and
security because power is shared between the
lower and upper class. "There should never be an
institution which allows the few to decide on any
matter which in the ordinary course of things is
essential to the maintenance of the
commonwealth“.
 The matters of government should be solely
secular. The philosopher strives to create a new
type of republic, which would deal only with
practical issues and without asserting any mystical
moral law.

29.  Inconsistent with his concept of virtue
 Not philosophically profound
 Narrowly local & narrowly dated philosophy
 He gave more importance to ends than to means
 His view of human nature is not correct
 Not a systematic thinker
 Force alone cannot hold the society
 His Prince can use tyrannical methods for selfish
ends
 Contradiction in his appreciation of Monarchy on
the one hand and Republican Government on the
other

30.  Concept of territorial, national & sovereign state
 Separation of politics from ethics
 Secularism
 Emphasis on material forces
 Exponent of power politics
 Method of approaching problems
 Pragmatism
 Public spirit as the basis of state
 Emphasis on public psychology
 Modern nationalism

31.  Machiavelli's political doctrine is discerning especially in those situations
where there is unpredictability or substantial change. He is known to be a
transitional figure standing midway between the medieval and modern
political thought. He was a historian who laid the foundations of a new
science of politics by assimilating contemporary history with ancient past.
His famous writing is The Prince, a playbook, a manual of sorts, for
leadership where government needs to be created or stabilized.
Machiavelli is considered the first political theorist to reject Ancient
viewpoint, which is characterized by happiness is goal, a well formed
society like a beehive, everyone in their place and peaceful (Plato,
Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, etc.), holistic philosophy including all
facets of existence, ontology and nature or Gods who control fate of
humanity.
 He has had an amazingly immense influence on modern civilization.
Firstly, Machiavelli's opinions on politics and political leaders effected
how future political leaders would run their countries. Furthermore,
Machiavelli had also influence on the future of modern western
civilization in comparison to the renaissance artists of his time.