Description
Dive deep into the complex world of political philosophy with 'Reading Machiavelli'. This enlightening book, published by Princeton University Press, scrutinizes the interpretations and misinterpretations of Niccolo Machiavelli's pivotal works, including 'The Prince', 'Discourses', and 'Florentine Histories'. Authored by political scholar John McCormick, this 2019 edition offers a revolutionary perspective on Machiavelli’s thoughts and argues that beneath the surface of his notorious reputation lies a robust and vibrant idea of populism.
Through careful analysis, McCormick reveals Machiavelli not merely as an amoral strategist but as a thinker deeply concerned with issues of civic liberty, class conflict, and the role of religion in politics. This book is essential for anyone interested in understanding the true Machiavelli—his radical democratic elements, the importance of political equality, and the often-unnoticed thematic currents of egalitarianism in his doctrine. It provides a critical reevaluation of how Machiavelli has been perceived through the lens of prominent theorists like Rousseau and Strauss.
Whether you're an academic, a student of political science, or just intrigued by philosophy, 'Reading Machiavelli' is a must-read that challenges entrenched views and encourages readers to engage critically with political discourse.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled. Condition: BRAND NEW. ISBN: 9780691183503. Format: Trade binding. Year: 2019. Publisher: Princeton University Press.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691183503
Format: Trade binding
Year: 2019
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Description:
To what extent was Machiavelli a "Machiavellian"? Was he an amoral adviser of tyranny or a stalwart partisan of liberty? A neutral technician of power politics or a devout Italian patriot? A reviver of pagan virtue or initiator of modern nihilism? Reading Machiavelli answers these questions through original interpretations of Niccolo Machiavelli's three major political works-The Prince, Discourses, and Florentine Histories-and demonstrates that a radically democratic populism seeded the Florentine's scandalous writings. John McCormick challenges the misguided understandings of Machiavelli set forth by prominent thinkers, including Jean-Jacques Rousseau and representatives of the Straussian and Cambridge schools.
McCormick emphasizes the fundamental, often unacknowledged elements of a vibrant Machiavellian politics: the utility of vigorous class conflict between elites and common citizens for virtuous democratic republics, the necessity of political and economic equality for genuine civic liberty, and the indispensability of religious tropes for the exercise of effective popular judgment. Interrogating the established reception of Machiavelli's work by such readers as Rousseau, Leo Strauss, Quentin Skinner, and J.G.A. Pocock, McCormick exposes what was effectively an elite conspiracy to suppress the Florentine's contentious, egalitarian politics. In recovering the too-long-concealed quality of Machiavelli's populism, this book acts as a Machiavellian critique of Machiavelli scholarship.
Advancing fresh renderings of works by Machiavelli while demonstrating how they have been misread previously, Reading Machiavelli presents a new out
Through careful analysis, McCormick reveals Machiavelli not merely as an amoral strategist but as a thinker deeply concerned with issues of civic liberty, class conflict, and the role of religion in politics. This book is essential for anyone interested in understanding the true Machiavelli—his radical democratic elements, the importance of political equality, and the often-unnoticed thematic currents of egalitarianism in his doctrine. It provides a critical reevaluation of how Machiavelli has been perceived through the lens of prominent theorists like Rousseau and Strauss.
Whether you're an academic, a student of political science, or just intrigued by philosophy, 'Reading Machiavelli' is a must-read that challenges entrenched views and encourages readers to engage critically with political discourse.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled. Condition: BRAND NEW. ISBN: 9780691183503. Format: Trade binding. Year: 2019. Publisher: Princeton University Press.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691183503
Format: Trade binding
Year: 2019
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Description:
To what extent was Machiavelli a "Machiavellian"? Was he an amoral adviser of tyranny or a stalwart partisan of liberty? A neutral technician of power politics or a devout Italian patriot? A reviver of pagan virtue or initiator of modern nihilism? Reading Machiavelli answers these questions through original interpretations of Niccolo Machiavelli's three major political works-The Prince, Discourses, and Florentine Histories-and demonstrates that a radically democratic populism seeded the Florentine's scandalous writings. John McCormick challenges the misguided understandings of Machiavelli set forth by prominent thinkers, including Jean-Jacques Rousseau and representatives of the Straussian and Cambridge schools.
McCormick emphasizes the fundamental, often unacknowledged elements of a vibrant Machiavellian politics: the utility of vigorous class conflict between elites and common citizens for virtuous democratic republics, the necessity of political and economic equality for genuine civic liberty, and the indispensability of religious tropes for the exercise of effective popular judgment. Interrogating the established reception of Machiavelli's work by such readers as Rousseau, Leo Strauss, Quentin Skinner, and J.G.A. Pocock, McCormick exposes what was effectively an elite conspiracy to suppress the Florentine's contentious, egalitarian politics. In recovering the too-long-concealed quality of Machiavelli's populism, this book acts as a Machiavellian critique of Machiavelli scholarship.
Advancing fresh renderings of works by Machiavelli while demonstrating how they have been misread previously, Reading Machiavelli presents a new out