Philosophy

Questions tagged [machiavelli]

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Niccolò Machiavelli (1469 – 1527) was an Italian diplomat, politician, historian and political philosopher. He is best known for his treatise 'The Prince' and expressed his most important thoughts on republicanism in 'Discourses on Livy'.

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How much ethics did Machiavelli convey in The Prince?

My philosophy teacher and I are having a little disagreement regarding The Prince: He argues that although the book's context is a letter to Lorenzo de' Medici advising him and recommending a course ...
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Where did Machiavelli say that “the ends justify the means”?

I have read The Prince, Discourses on Livy and The Art of War. In none of these books did I find the quote oft-attributed to Machiavelli that “the ends justify the means”. Did he say it? If so, where? ...
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4answers
69k views

Accepted Interpretation of Machiavelli's “the ends justify the means.”?

Prior to reading The Prince, I had heard of the aphorism: The ends justify the means This was Machiavelli's identifying line to many people, and in my conversations with them, I got the impression ...
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Was Nietzsche influenced by Machiavelli?

I've been reading Machiavelli and I've noticed that his is very critical of Christianity in a way that reminds me of Nietzsche's Master-Slave morality; he does so by comparing the focus on 'heroic ...
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2answers
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Which translation of Machiavelli's The Prince is the one that should be read?

I would like to read The Prince by Machiavelli. I've found in the past Penguin's book translations to be excellent compared to some other free sources. Whose translation of Machiavelli's The Prince ...
3
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1answer
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What does Machiavelli say about friends of my enemies?

What does Machiavelli say about friends of my enemies? I read the Prince, and some continental stuff relating it to Marxism, such as Specters of Marx. The former mostly seemed like practical, in some ...