Weekly Writing Assignment

Choose an assigned reading from this week and write a 1-2 page double spaced font 12 critical summary.

Week 3 March 16: The Modern European State and System of States

Brown, “Niccolo Machiavelli”

Machiavelli

Development of INR – Week 3

Machiavelli
• Who was Machiavelli? Why is he important for

Political Realism?
• Florentine writer/diplomat between 1469-1527. Born

in a context of continuous crisis and warfare.
• It was not uncommon, for example, for Popes

themselves to lead armies in Italy against other city-
states – but especially against Holy Roman Emperor.

• Machiavelli experiences the unrelenting attempts by
various European powers to assert their hegemony
in Northern Italy – Chapter 26 of The Prince, is
basically a call to the Medici to use the opportunity of
chaos in Italy to lead it towards unification and glory.

Cont.
• Wrote two main works, The Prince and The Discourses

on Livy. The latter is an extended commentary on Livy’s
history of the foundation and history of Rome until about
300 BC – corresponds to the Third Samnite War.

• The interest in The Discourse on Livy is also to
contextualize Machiavelli the writer of the Prince –
concern with not just the acquisition of power; but with the
emergence and maintenance of a republic during periods
of crisis or political turbulence.

• Machiavelli – A retrieval of a type of pagan knowledge of
politics.

• A reemphasis on a non-eschatological temporality to
understand politics.

Virtù
• Because of constant conflict the Prince needs

to possess certain qualities to ‘maintain his
state’ and “increase his power’.

• Virtù: possessing the knowledge and will to do
what needs to be done even if it may be
considered evil.

• The Prince must possess a “flexible disposition”
(Chapter 18).

• Implies an ability of adaptation to changing
political circumstances.

Fortuna
• What undermines political order.

Circumstances that can emerge to undermine
the Prince’s power or security.

• Machiavelli: Fortuna is “one of our destructive
rivers which, when it is angry, turns the plains
into lakes, throws down the trees and buildings,
takes earth from one spot, puts it in another;
everyone flees before the flood; everyone
yields to its fury and nowhere can repel it.”

Cont.
• Machiavelli: “I conclude therefore that, fortune being changeful

and mankind steadfast in their ways, so long as the two are in
agreement men are successful, but unsuccessful when they fall
out. For my part I consider that it is better to be adventurous than
cautious, because fortune is a woman, and if you wish to keep
her under it is necessary to beat and ill-use her; and it is seen
that she allows herself to be mastered by the adventurous rather
than by those who go to work more coldly. She is, therefore,
always, woman-like, a lover of young men, because they are
less cautious, more violent, and with more audacity command
her.”

• Sexualized Imagery: What does it imply?
• Politics is not just about mastery; it’s also about foundation,

beginning, natality.
• Catherine Zuckert: “The task of the price is not only to dominate

but also to create, to give life to a new being.”

Implications
• Separation of God and Fortuna.
• Medieval Theology: Fortuna is divine will;

accounts for random events; appears
capricious because “men” don’t understand
why certain events happen.

• Machiavelli: God is not important; we must
master Fortuna with virtù. “Man” and
Fortuna make history.