Leo Strauss, clearly an individual who sees religion - he himself was of Jewish descent - as the cement that holds society together. This is the first book of his that I have ever read, and may be the last. Along the way, I had to do side research on Leo Strauss. It is far from the cynicism that Machiavelli is often reduced … Related articles on Machiavelli and his political thought. One of the ironies surrounding Machiavelli is that there has never been anything resembling a Machiavellian school of thought. In a recent interview with the New York Times, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jared Diamond was asked which book he would require President Obama to read if he could. Today is not that day. Strauss sought to incorporate this idea in his interpretation without permitting it to overwhelm or exhaust his exegesis of The Prince and the … Someday I'll write a book about it. 6, Gedanken über Machiavelli. This book is incredible. Machiavelli sets a new chapter in the improvement of political philosophy. George L. Mosse; Thoughts on Machiavelli. Although he worked mainly as a statesman, he was also a notable historian, dramatist, poet, and philosopher. Strauss sought to incorporate this idea in his interpretation without permitting it to overwhelm or exhaust his exegesis of. Quotations by Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian Writer, Born May 3, 1469. The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him. Pp. I feel like I have a much more comprehensive view of the relationship between the works. This book is incredible. Immensely frustrating, even infuriating, yet despite long stretches of fussy pedantry it is also filled with moments of lapidary insight. I hardly feel the urge to fling a book across the room whenever I read academic works. If you're on the lookout for an interpretation of Machiavelli that is absolutely unverifiable and seems obsessed with kabbalic numerology, look no further. I feel like I have a much more comprehensive view of the relationship between the works. I know you're out there. This article about a book on political philosophy or theory is a stub. from this extraordinarily fertile but somewhat inconclusive set of reflections on Machiavelli, I glean three broad arguments: (1) machiavelli is a systematic and comprehensive thinker--a Philosopher who presents a comprehensive teaching--not an opportunistic and muddleheaded ideologist, (2) machiavelli's comprehensive teaching is not only unChristian, but radically and pervasively antiChristian, and (3) machiavelli presents his radical and antiChristian teaching using methods of indirection and deception. Machiavelli does not believe in any ethical doctrines or in any divine law because of intentional segregation of politics from religion. A collection of thoughts and quotes by Niccolo Machiavelli on leadership, philosophy, success, politics, risk, sociology, intellect, cynicism and fear. He was more of a politician rather than political thinker /philosopher. His most read treatise, The Prince, turned Aristotle ’s theory of virtues upside down, shaking the European conception of government at its foundations. Finding Machiavelli insufficient on a number of counts, the commentators argue for the greater realism of anti-Machiavellian thought and practice. Happy Women's History Month! … Someone should come along at some point and be able to condense this book into about 50 pages, perhaps combine it with other Machiavelli analysis to make a 100-page book that is easier to quickly scan for information. This portrait of the author, by Santi di Tito, hangs in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. Niccolò Machiavelli was one of the most influential political theorists of Western philosophy. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Leo Strauss argued that the most visible fact about Machiavelli's doctrine is also the most useful one: Machiavelli seems to be a teacher of wickedness. 75 Notable Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes That Teach Life-Management . Be the first to ask a question about Thoughts on Machiavelli. In popular medieval belief, the king was thought to be a "primate," an avatar of human virtue with innate authority over lesser beings in the cosmological hierarchy. Born On: May 3, 1469. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. by University of Chicago Press. 20 New Books on Women’s History. “it is much safer to be feared than loved because ... love is preserved by the link of obligation which, … During his time studying political trends and ideas, he wrote one of his most famous treatises called “The Prince” which contains some of his most controversial views. One of the undisputedly good things about modern scholarship is that women’s history is finally getting its due.... Leo Strauss argued that the most visible fact about Machiavelli's doctrine is also the most useful one: Machiavelli seems to be a teacher of wickedness. What began as yet another book in my study of the Florentine diplomat evolved into an eleven month hate-read. Machiavelli rejects both the Christian opinion of Thomas Aquinas and the Stoic opinion of Cicero regarding the use of fraud. We’d love your help. Machiavelli thought that religious factor in the society is a driving force which a clever and intellectual ruler can use to turn the table in the game of politics and use religion for their own advantage and growth of the state. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thoughts_on_Machiavelli&oldid=932312774, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 24 December 2019, at 23:33. Refresh and try again. Strauss' esoteric technique can take on a parasitical life of its own, but the literal meaning is often more interesting and more important than the alleged esoteric meaning. The book contains commentary on Machiavelli's The Prince and the Discourses on Livy. The Prince is part of a complicated historical context, i.e. Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (1469 - 1527) was an Italian philosopher, political theorist, diplomat, musician and writer of the Renaissance period. The countless kingdoms are under threat of external attacks. I come away from reading this book with no less an affection for Machiavelli; a finger-puppet I own of Machiavelli provided me with much sagacious advice in graduate school. Leo Strauss argued that the most visible fact about Machiavelli's doctrine is also the most useful one: Machiavelli seems to be a teacher of wickedness. I think Strauss gets important aspects of Machivelli wrong. "We are in sympathy," he writes, "with the simple opinion about Machiavelli [namely, the wickedness of his teaching], not only because it is wholesome, but above all because a failure to take that opinion seriously prevents one from doing justice to what is truly admirable in Machiavelli: the intrepidity of his thought, the grandeur of his vision, and the graceful subtlety of his speech."[2][3]. Blah! Books that will revolutionize the way you think, Power, Sister! Deutsche Erstübersetzung (2014). Machiavelli's advice, which to Strauss is synonymous to the individual Niccolò Machiavelli is, therefore, condemned as. thoughts with great skill, and that only the most meticulous scholarship and the most laborious attention to detail can begin to uncover the arcane thoughts of Machiavelli. Enjoy the best Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes at BrainyQuote. There are a few nice observations, though. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Leo Strauss argued that the most visible fact about Machiavelli’s doctrine is also the most useful one: Machiavelli seems to be a teacher of wickedness. His Early Life: Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy, in 1469, in a modest means of family. To see what your friends thought of this book. Strauss bangs away on Machiavelli for about three hundred pages. 2 thoughts on “ Machiavelli and the Modern World ” Specialist290 says: September 25, 2017 at 9:40 pm. “Since it is difficult to join them together, it is safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the … Thoughts on Machiavelli is a book by Leo Strauss first published in 1958. Reason of the State: The most revolutionary aspect of Machiavelli’s idea about politics is the reason … Niccolò Machiavelli is a central intellectual figure in Renaissance philosophy. 348. I had gotten the impression that the ultimate message of *The Prince* was that a prince’s power is tenuous and can only be held onto by courting the “good will” of the people, but I never thought to carry it quite that far. $6.00. For all their so-called realism, his political theories have not led to any grand social or political movements, nor has he sponsored any revolutions, nor inspired any new constitutions. Niccoló Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513, but it wasn’t published until 1532, five years after his death. So the book is definitely longer than it needs to be but it needs to be present right next to the prince and the discourses. it suggests a new understanding of fundamental matters beyond those restricted to politics, issues such as nature, fortune, and history, as well as issues of morality and rule. Leo Strauss argued that the most visible fact about Machiavelli's doctrine is also the most useful one: Machiavelli seems to be a teacher of wickedness. Strauss sought to incorporate this idea in his interpretation without permitting it to overwhelm or exhaust his exegesis of The Prince and the Discourses on the First Ten Books of Livy. While in exile, Machiavelli knew the world was changing and becoming more chaotic; he wrote the book The Prince. He was a central figure in the political scene of the Italian Renaissance, a tumultuous period of plots, wars between city states and constantly shifting alliances.. I hardly feel the urge to fling a book across the room whenever I read academic works. Someone should come along at some point and be able to condense this book in. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. In Machiavelli's thinking, moral judgments are wholly subordinate to the existence of political and temporal existence and welfare. Machiavelli's advice, which to Strauss is synonymous to the individual Niccolò Machiavelli is, therefore, condemned as 'immoral and irreligious' and is labelled 'the teacher of evil'. Machiavelli was at the same time a great writer, with a clean, precise and acute prose. Thoughts on Machiavelli is a book by Leo Strauss first published in 1958. Leo Strauss, Thoughts on Machiavelli. Machiavelli is a puzzle, a contradiction, but at the same time a fascinating thinker that addresses traditional political issues and dilemmas with freshness, candidly and openly. The book contains commentary on Machiavelli's The Prince and the Discourses on Livy.[1]. Machiavelli is most famously known for his political thoughts which he did not hesitate to emphatically state whether in writing or by other means. To say that I found this book frustrating is an understatement, and I hade to read it all the way through twice before I was convinced that I was finished. Machiavelli was not a Romantic author thinking universal thoughts in systematic ways, nor was he a political science professor propounding a unified political theory. Felt like you'd have to do a devotional read to like this book. The second puzzling thing about the received interpretation of Strauss's Machiavelli is the deep … His works contain some of the most memorable quotes in political science.Here follows a selection of those that are most representative for philosophers. So the book is definitely longer than it needs to be but it needs to be present right next to the prince and the discourses. October 15th 1995 Interesting. Welcome back. 5, Über Tyrannis (2013) and Vol. Machiavelli served 14 years as Chancellor of Florence before he was exiled in 1513. The book is a collection of lectures he gave at the University of Chicago in which he dissects the work of Niccolò Machiavelli. I found this book remarkably frustrating. 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