Vacchia Meli

Niccolò Machiavelli broke with the moralistic tradition of political philosophy by analysing power as it is exercised in the real world. In The Prince, he argues that a ruler must possess virtù: a combination of courage, intelligence, determination, adaptability and ruthlessness, enabling him to master circumstances and shape the destiny of his state. For Machiavelli, politics is not a contest of moral virtues but an art of survival, in which an effective leader must be prepared to act as both a lion, through strength, and a fox, through cunning, whenever circumstances demand it.

Among his best-known teachings is the idea that it is better for a ruler to be feared than loved, provided he avoids being hated. Machiavelli also argues that the appearance of virtue may be more useful than virtue itself, advising rulers to present themselves as pious, just and religious even when the interests of the state require them to act otherwise. Religion thus appears not merely as a matter of faith but also as an instrument capable of reinforcing obedience and social cohesion. This pragmatic, and often ruthless, view of power has made The Prince one of the most influential and, at the same time, one of the most reviled works in the history of Western political thought.

In his indispensable programme In Our Time, Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss a number of fascinating aspects of Machiavelli’s life, work and political thought.