๐ Introduction: Why The Prince Still Matters Written in 1513 and published posthumously in 1532, The Prince by Niccolรฒ Machiavelli remains one of the most influential works in political theory. Often misunderstood as a manual for tyranny, the book is actually a pragmatic guide for rulers navigating the volatile politics of Renaissance Italy . Machiavelli’s central thesis? Power must be maintained by any means necessary—even if those means defy conventional morality. This radical departure from idealistic governance earned Machiavelli both admiration and infamy, giving rise to the term “ Machiavellian .” ๐ Get The Princeon on Amazon ๐ฐ Historical Context: Italy in Turmoil At the time of writing, Italy was fragmented into city-states, constantly at war. Florence , Machiavelli’s home, had just undergone a political upheaval, and Machiavelli himself had been exiled. The Prince was his attempt to win favor with the ruling Medici family , particularly Lorenzo de’ Medici , to w...
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