I probably have a dozen different editions of Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince (first English translation 1640). The book was banned by the Catholic Church who maintained The Prince was inspired by the Devil. This book (and Machiavelli’s The Discourses) actually created the area of study we now call “Political Science.” Machiavelli studies history and relates the strategies that work…and those that don’t.
Yes, The Prince is an amoral book. Machiavelli advises princes and leaders to lie and cheat under certain circumstances. He maintains that fear works better than love in ruling a populous. Religion becomes a tool for social control. You can see why the Catholic Church banned The Prince. Of all the translations of The Prince I prefer George Bull’s clear and concise version. The Prince is less than a 100 pages long, but its power has lasted centuries. It is the playbook of most governments and political leaders. If you’re interested in the hows and whys of politics, it all begins with The Prince. Have you read The Prince? GRADE: A
No!
I read it in college where—despite the fact that it was just a year on from Nixon’s resignation—it seemed more of an intellectual exercise. I don’t think I’d want to reread it today—too depressing.
Deb, I know what you mean. Lord Macaulay, in a review of Machiavelli’s THE PRINCE, wrote: “We doubt whether any name in literary history be so generally odious as that of the man whose character and writings we now propose to consider.”
I can’t remember. Was it ever a CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED?
Dan, I rather doubt that. But any “Cliffs Notes” version of THE PRINCE is probably longer than the actual book.
A few years ago, I realized that I had never read it, so did so. I thought it was very interesting, with definite parallels to our day,
I read it in college, but have read a lot about it since. Trump manages to be Machiavellian probably without knowing who Machiavelli was.
Michael, I’m confident Trump never read THE PRINCE. But he’s surrounded himself with plenty of onions who have.
Have not read it, and have little interest in doing so.
Rick, I’ve read THE PRINCE about a dozen times. I’ve used it in my PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT course for years. My students loved it.
As you might guess, this was on the syllabus in several of Phil’s classes. He does make an impact.
Patti, I knew Phil probably knew THE PRINCE well and used it in his classes. Not many books are still relevant 500 years after they were written.