Tagged: Prince

Machiavelli, Man of the People

We’ve known our share of allegedly misunderstood literary figures (lookin’ at you, Nietzsche). But is Machiavelli one of them? In The Prince, Machiavelli argues that leaders shouldn’t be objectively virtuous or truthful, but rather effective at preserving their reign. Hence a just end can excuse a leader’s horrendous acts, or “the ends justify the means.” […]

Machiavelli: still shocks 5 centuries later

CC201 has started off the semester by dabbling, among other things, in Machiavelli’s The Prince. Many were acquainted with the work from their high school years, and many were not – all admit it remains potent and relevant today. This post for The National Interest highlights the way in which The Prince still shocks today. A sample: […]

What Machiavelli Knew

Relating to CC201’s study of Niccolo Machiavelli’s the Prince, is an article discussing his ideas on whether law can supplant politics. Here is an extract: One of the peculiarities of political thought at the present time is that it is fundamentally hostile to politics. Bismarck may have opined that laws are like sausages – it’s best […]

LANDMARKS SERIES: Machiavelli’s The Prince After 500 Years

On February 6th, there will be a lecture on Machiavelli’s The Prince, by the great Michael Ignatieff, Edward Muir, and James Johnson. It will be located in the Photonics Building, Room 206, 8 St. Mary’s Street, and will last from 7:00pm – 9:00pm. The Core encourages students to attend this event, as these inspiring speakers will undoubtedly shed […]