The Prince is a 16th century political treatiese, by the Italian diplomat and political theorist, Niccolò Machiavelli. A printed version was first published in 1532, five years after Machiavelli’s death. This was done with the permission of the Medici pope, Clement VII.
Machiavelli’s inspiration for The Prince was his experience in the courts of Europe as an emissary of the Florentine Republic. His book analyzed the means of gaining power, whether peaceful or violent. He also discussed public deeds and private morality. Machiavelli’s book provided an accurate picture of the true nature of power, no matter the century or who wielded it.
The Prince is sometimes claimed to be one of the first works of modern philosophy, especially modern political philosophy, in which the effective truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. Although it is relatively short, the treatise is the most remembered of Machiavelli’s works and the one most responsible for bringing the word ‘Machiavellian’ into usage as a pejorative. It even contributed to the modern negative connotations of the words ‘politics’ and ‘politician’ in Western countries. The Prince is extremely interesting. Machiavelli’s writing is witty and straightforward. He stated exactly what he believed. Although you may not agree with his advice on leadership, some of his points still hit home in this modern era.
For one of you who is studying Italian, I recommend the Bilingual Edition that can be found on Amazon.com. I also recommend this book for high school and college students.
