Thoughts on Machiavelli

Author: Leo Strauss
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Machiavelli was certainly not the kind of person to express views similar to those mentioned above. Such views belong to a political thought and political behavior that are as old as the social and political life itself. However, Machiavelli was unique among philosophers in that he was willing to associate his name with any political thought and political behavior as old as the social and political life itself, to the extent that his name became widely used as a symbol of such political thought and behavior. In this book, Leo Strauss examines Machiavelli's two works, The Prince and Discourses on Livy, in meticulous detail, revealing in a comprehensive and profound manner the core essence of Machiavelli's political thought. The author argues that Machiavelli was not the kind of person to teach good or evil, and his political thought and political behavior were deeply rooted in historical context. The dilemma between saving the homeland and saving one's soul formed the core of Machiavelli's political thought, which was clearly marked by value judgments.