Niccolo Machiavelli, the snarky-looking Italian Renaissance philosopher, was a pretty twisted guy, right? I mean, the term “Machiavellian” has become synonymous with manipulation and immorality. In school, you probably read his treatise, The Prince, and thought to yourself, “damn, this guy is evil.” He thinks it’s better to be feared than loved. He suggests committing grand atrocities in tiny increments so no one notices. Machiavelli doesn’t even care what you have to do to keep power, as long as the ends justify the means. The guy seems villainous enough for me…. but what if he wasn’t? What if this was all a huge misunderstanding, a dark joke that fell flat?
The Showbear Family Circus wondered what I was talking about too. Click here to read a preview of my uniquely wry analysis of Machiavelli’s The Prince, and if you like it, subscribe to the magazine to read the rest. They have some awesome content and super cheap subscription packages.
Thanks for letting me inside your head-Alicia
