The Prince

Niccolò Machiavelli was a prolific Italian writer, diplomat and political philosopher, author of twenty-two literary works, who has been widely recognized as the father of political science for his masterpiece, The Prince, which was addressed to Lorenzo The Magnificent, son of Piero de' Medici, and later published in 1532 (five years after the author's death). He lived in difficult, conflictive and turbulent times, characterized by the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Age, the rise of the Renaissance, the discovery of America, and the rivalries and war conflicts between the European empires, Spain, France and Great Britain, while his homeland, Italy, which was the cultural center of Europe and a privileged region for trade, had suffered several divisions due to invasions and internal revolts, and a part was controlled by the Papal States, under the authority of the Pope. Undoubtedly, Niccolò Machiavelli, who was a skilled diplomat and fond of the study of history, and was even arrested on suspicion of conspiracy and later released (although he is believed to be innocent), was dissatisfied with the political, social, economic and religious situation of Italy, which, being so fragmented and partly dominated by the Papal States, at that time, had lost its hegemony and could not compete with the great European powers, which were establishing colonies outside the continent. In his literary work, The Prince, he makes available to the Medici (one of the most influential political families in Europe, hailing from Florence, and great patrons of art and science) extensive knowledge of history, diplomacy and politics, and makes a exhortation to conquer and unite Italy again, for the sake of giving it independence and glory, under the leadership of a skillful and powerful prince. Masterfully, the author provided insights of the complex human nature (in certain way, anticipating to: notions of Utilitarianism, Abraham Maslow's approach of human needs and Rene Girard's mimicry) and how to utilize the best qualities, when there are opportunities (foreseeing the perspective of Amartya Sen's human capabilities), glimpsing that the prince or ruler should be a manager, who administrates the resources of the State, expecting to satisfy the main needs of his subjects, the nobles and other influential actors.