He was born in Florence in 1469 and died in 1527. Machiavelli: A Misunderstood Figure?Īlthough Machiavelli is a famous figure, he is often misunderstood. In other words, morality may be real, but in only a small part of the world that we inhabit. It is only with Niccolò Machiavelli that we begin to get the idea that some things may be made good by what they accomplish. Some ancient thinkers, such as Thrasymachus or Thucydides, would have rejected justice as a coherent idea, while others might say that justice does not need worldly justification. The difference can be shown by a simple question: Does the end justify the means?įor earlier thinkers, such as Augustine or Aquinas, it was a thought that was hard to conceive. In these views, God seems to be very far away, and morality becomes something different for the thinkers of this period. ![]() ![]() (Image: Everett Collection/Shutterstock) Does the End Justify the Means?Īfter the Reformation of the 16th century, a secular view of evil was seen to be possible in Europe in a way that was not seen before. ![]() In The Prince, Machiavelli states that a prince must love his city more than his soul.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |