Machiavelli (Readings) Flashcards
(95 cards)
He was born (1)__________ in Florence at a young age became a pupil of a renowned Latin teacher, (2) _______________.
(1) 3 May 1464
(2) Paolo da Ronciglione
It is only with his entrance into public view, with his appointment in 1498 as the ___________________________
Second Chancellor of the Republic of Florence
During this time, Machiavelli thrived under the patronage of the Florentine _____________
gonfaloniere Piero Soderini
Originally written for presentation to (1)____________________, the dedication was changed, upon Giuliano’s death, to (2) _____________, who almost certainly did not read it when it came to his hands in 1516
(1) Giuliano de’Medici
(2) Lorenzo de’Medici
Unlike _________, the Discourses was authored over a long period of time (commencing perhaps in 1514 or 1515 and completed in 1518 or 1519, although again only published posthumously in 1531)
The Prince
Most importantly, he composed his other major contribution to political thought, the _______________________________, an exposition of the principles of republican role masquerading as a commentary on the work of the famous historian of the Roman Republic.
Discourses on the Ten Books of Titus Livy
In 1520, he was commissioned by Cardinal Giulio de’Medici to compose a ____________, an assignment completed in 1525 and presented to the Cardinal, who had since ascended to the papal throne as Clement VII, in Rome.
History of Florence
In a sense, it was thought that rulers did well when they did good; they earned the right to be obeyed and respected inasmuch as they showed themselves to be ___________ and ____________
virtuous and morally upright
For Machiavelli, there is no moral basis on which to judge the difference between legitimate and illegitimate uses of power. Rather, ________ and _______ are essentially coequal: whoever has power has the right to command;
author, power
Thus, in direct opposition to a moralistic theory of politics, Machiavelli says that the only real concern of the political ruler is the _________________________________
acquisition and maintenance of power
_______________________ to reflect the self-conscious political realism of an author who is fully aware-on the basis of direct experience with the Florentine government-that goodness and right are not sufficient to win and maintain political office.
The Prince
For Machiavelli, power characteristically defines __________, and hence it is necessary for any successful ruler to know how power is to be used.
political activity
Machiavelli acknowledges that (1)________ and (2)________ constitute the dual foundations of a well-ordered political system. But he immediately adds that since (3)__________ creates (4)_________, he will concentrate his attention on force.
(1) good laws
(2) good arms
(3) coercion
(4) legality
The legitimacy of law rests entirely upon the ______________________; authority is impossible for Machiavelli as a right apart from the power to enforce it.
Threat of coercive force
If I think that I should not obey a particular law, what eventually leads me to submit to that law will be either a _______________ of the state or ______________________ of that power
(1) fear of the power
(2) the actual exercise
Machiavelli’s vision of the requirements of power politics is _________.
virtù
While the Italian word would normally be translated into English as “________,” and would ordinarily convey the conventional connotation of moral goodness.
virtue
In particular, Machiavelli employs the concept of _________________ to refer to the range of personal qualities that the prince will find it necessary to acquire in order to “maintain his state” and “achieve great things,” the two standard markers of power for him.
virtù
Machiavelli’s sense of what it is to be a person of virtù can thus be summarized by his recommendation that the prince above all else must possess a “_____________”
flexible disposition
Not coincidentally, Machiavelli also uses the term virtù in his book_________________ in order to describe the strategic prowess of the general who adapts to different battlefield conditions as the situation dictates.
The Art of War
Virtù is to power politics what conventional virtue is to those thinkers who suppose that moral goodness is sufficient to be a legitimate ruler: it is the touchstone of __________.
political success
________________________ is the enemy of political order, the ultimate threat to the safety and security of the state
Fortuna (usually translated as “fortune”)
Machiavelli’s most famous discussion of Fortuna occurs in ______________, in which he proposes two analogies for understanding the human situation in the face of events.
Chapter 25 of The Prince
Fortune may be resisted by human beings, but only in those circumstances where “______________” have already prepared for her inevitable arrival.
virtù and wisdom
