Showing results for title "The Prince", by author "Niccolo Machiavelli" in Ethics & Morality

The Prince is a classic work of political philosophy by famous political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli. A phrase often associated with this work is “the ends justify the means.” In other words, Machiavelli believed that acts of cruelty or lawbreaking were justifiable if the purpose of such acts was to advance one’s own power and chances of survival. The adjective “Machiavellian” refers to behaving in a way that aligns with Machiavelli’s philosophy. To this day, Machiavelli’s philosophy is controversial.

Machiavelli cut his political teeth during the Renaissance, a time of intense hatred between Italian city states. Machiavelli was a man of action, a devout patriot. He wrote The Prince to describe how a leader could unite Italy and put a stop to the senseless conflict. This edition includes an addenda and Machiavelli's biography of Castruccio Castracani: his archetypal prince.