Machiavelli
I am curently reading some of Machiavelli in one of my classes. It is especially exciting because the professor is the translator of the texts and is unquestionably knowledgable on the subject matter.
Anyways, I re-read one of my favorite Machiavelli quotes that I thought I should share. It has nothing to do with his political philosophy. It is from a letter to a friend where he is describing his life in exile and the creation of the Prince. Enjoy.
“When evening has come, I return to my house and go into my study. At the door I take off my clothes of the day, covered with mud and mire, and I put on my regal and courtly garments; and decently reclothed, I enter the ancient courts of ancient men, where, received by them lovingly, I feed on the food that alone is mine and that I was born for. There I am not ashamed to speak with them and to ask them the reason for their actions; and they in their humanity reply to me. And for the space of four hours I feel no boredom, I forget every pain, I do not fear poverty, death does not frighten me. I deliver myself entirely to them.”
-Niccolo Machiavelli. The Prince. University of Chicago Press. 1995. Appendix: Pg. 109-110.
posted by Alec Brandon @ 10:11 PM
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2 Comments:
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Intresting thing about machiavelli: The only moral judgement he makes in his book is one condemning torture. This is the only time he lets morality interfere with good governance. Why? Because when he wrote the Prince he had just finished being tortured by the Florantins. One must wonder what else machiavelli would have changed had he had firsthand knowledge of his policies.
(As king of the Geats, I love torture. Especially of monsters and traitors.)
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