Machiavelli's The Prince
During the renaissance there were many new ideas and philosophies about politics and government that started being established, none more important than Niccolo Machiavelli 's The Prince. What Machiavelli did was analyze past rulers and present rulers of his time period and create a manual for leadership. His ideas would spread all throughout Europe as a radical and revolutionary way on how to gain and maintain power, because to Machiavelli, great does not mean morally good. One cannot be a morally good leader if you are planning to be a considered a great leader (7). As exemplified in his book several Rulers of his time period like Charles V, Louis XII of France, and Cesare Borgia tried to adopt his philosophies and use them in an effort to
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He was greatly admired by Machiavelli, who met the Duke on a diplomatic mission in his function as Secretary of the Florentine Chancellery. Machiavelli was at Borgia 's court from October 7, 1502 through January 18, 1503. During this time he wrote regular dispatches to his superiors in Florence. Borgia is considered by Machiavelli to have been a most capable leader and the embodiment of what he believed a prince should be, as he would do the most to shape Machiavelli 's opinions about leadership (9). Borgia was a cunning, cruel, and vicious politician, and many people despised him. Nevertheless, Machiavelli believed Borgia had the traits necessary for any leader who would seek to unify Italy, because no prince should mind being called cruel for what he does to keep his subjects united and loyal (7). Machiavelli uses many events of Borgia 's life to illustrate how and why he was successful (8). Two episodes were particularly impressive to Machiavelli: the method by which Borgia pacified the Romagna, and his assassination of his captains on New Year 's Eve of 1503 in Senigallia. He suggests that an ambitious prince looking for a recent model to follow should imitate Cesare Borgia. We see modern day examples of people embodying the Machiavellian principle in dictators like Stalin in Russia, and Rafael Trujillo of the Dominican
He was greatly admired by Machiavelli, who met the Duke on a diplomatic mission in his function as Secretary of the Florentine Chancellery. Machiavelli was at Borgia 's court from October 7, 1502 through January 18, 1503. During this time he wrote regular dispatches to his superiors in Florence. Borgia is considered by Machiavelli to have been a most capable leader and the embodiment of what he believed a prince should be, as he would do the most to shape Machiavelli 's opinions about leadership (9). Borgia was a cunning, cruel, and vicious politician, and many people despised him. Nevertheless, Machiavelli believed Borgia had the traits necessary for any leader who would seek to unify Italy, because no prince should mind being called cruel for what he does to keep his subjects united and loyal (7). Machiavelli uses many events of Borgia 's life to illustrate how and why he was successful (8). Two episodes were particularly impressive to Machiavelli: the method by which Borgia pacified the Romagna, and his assassination of his captains on New Year 's Eve of 1503 in Senigallia. He suggests that an ambitious prince looking for a recent model to follow should imitate Cesare Borgia. We see modern day examples of people embodying the Machiavellian principle in dictators like Stalin in Russia, and Rafael Trujillo of the Dominican