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The Prince (Rethinking the Western Tradition)

by Niccolò Machiavelli

Other authors: W.B. Allen (Contributor), Hadley Arkes (Contributor), Angelo M. Codevilla (Editor, Translator & Introduction), Carnes Lord (Contributor)

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A classic of the Western tradition, Machiavelli's The Prince has influenced political and philosophical thought since its publication four centuries ago. Political power, Machiavelli taught, has no limits. It leaves no room for the sacred, and it subordinates right and wrong to success. In this new edition of Machiavelli's momentous book, Angelo M. Codevilla provides a translation uniquely faithful to the original, and especially sensitive to the author's use of verbal imprecision, including puns, double meanings, and the subjunctive mood. The volume includes an introduction by Codevilla that places Machiavelli in the context of his own times, demonstrates his relevance to the history of political thought, and inquires into the place of Machiavelli's ideas in modern debates. This edition also contains three essays that explore some of the most important ways The Prince clashes with the other main branch of Western civilization--the Socratic and Judeo-Christian traditions: "Machiavelli's Realism" by Carnes Lord, "Machiavelli and Modernity" by W. B. Allen, and "Machiavelli and America" by Hadley Arkes.… (more)
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You’ve witnessed it too, or something similar: Your city’s NFL team has a 13-point lead at home with six minutes to go, plus 1st down and possession—should be a sure win, right?—but then they turn over victory to the opponent, losing the game in regulation.

It’s stuff like this that Machiavelli just hated. Except that, with Renaissance Italy bedeviled by an absence of NFL teams even the passage of five centuries hasn’t repaired, his annoyance was with princes whose misadventures cause them to blow it when trying to keep power.

Machiavelli’s advice? Be prepared to flout fairness. That competitors and coaches should overreach the rules makes sense. It’s impossible to be penalized for an infraction each time. And once the game is over, no NFL victory is ever overturned, no defeat nullified, no team put on probation. So why would a Head Coach repudiate advices given in The Prince?

Well, he might repudiate them if he doesn’t mind increasing the risk of losing his head (isn’t that what happens when the head coach is axed?). Otherwise . . .

Going beyond the morality of winning at games, there is a fundamental question: Is it virtuous to speak the truth and keep promises? Machiavelli teaches, the editor of my edition advises, that the real or true standard is that no one should keep a promise when by doing so he would diminish his own power and when the conditions which occasioned the promise are gone.

That’s troubling. But also brilliant at unveiling much of what is disappointing in political action and discourse to idealistic or more hopeful people. Word is such persons may find a less alienating brand of political thought in Niccoló’s The Discourses.

Note on Translation: The Editor of the edition I read, Angelo M. Codevilla, stresses that he made his translation more literal than is the custom to better illustrate how Machiavelli uses language to subvert commonplace ideas about virtue. This seems a good objective but the translation is no easy text—I would not want to read one that’s even a little bit less welcoming. ( )
  dypaloh | Mar 2, 2018 |
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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Machiavelli, NiccolòAuthorprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Allen, W.B.Contributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Arkes, HadleyContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Codevilla, Angelo M.Editor, Translator & Introductionsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Lord, CarnesContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
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A classic of the Western tradition, Machiavelli's The Prince has influenced political and philosophical thought since its publication four centuries ago. Political power, Machiavelli taught, has no limits. It leaves no room for the sacred, and it subordinates right and wrong to success. In this new edition of Machiavelli's momentous book, Angelo M. Codevilla provides a translation uniquely faithful to the original, and especially sensitive to the author's use of verbal imprecision, including puns, double meanings, and the subjunctive mood. The volume includes an introduction by Codevilla that places Machiavelli in the context of his own times, demonstrates his relevance to the history of political thought, and inquires into the place of Machiavelli's ideas in modern debates. This edition also contains three essays that explore some of the most important ways The Prince clashes with the other main branch of Western civilization--the Socratic and Judeo-Christian traditions: "Machiavelli's Realism" by Carnes Lord, "Machiavelli and Modernity" by W. B. Allen, and "Machiavelli and America" by Hadley Arkes.

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Contents:
  • Introduction / Angelo M. Codevilla
  • The Prince / Niccolò Machiavelli
  • Machiavelli's Realism / Carnes Lord
  • Machiavelli and Modernity / W. B. Allen
  • Machiavelli and America / Hadley Arkes
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