Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò Machiavelli
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was born in 1469 in Florence, Italy. He is commonly known as Niccolò Machiavelli.
Birth and Death Dates
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Machiavelli's exact birth date is unknown, but it is believed to be between May 3rd and June 16th, 1469. He died on June 21st, 1527.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat, philosopher, and writer. His work spans multiple genres, including politics, philosophy, history, and drama.
Early Life and Background
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Machiavelli was born into a minor noble family in Florence, Italy. At the age of 29, he married Marietta Corsini, with whom he had three children. Machiavelli's early life reflects his family's modest status, as they were not part of the aristocracy but still maintained some degree of influence.
Major Accomplishments
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Machiavelli's most notable accomplishments include:
Serving as a diplomat and ambassador for the Florentine Republic on multiple occasions.
Authoring several influential works, including "The Prince" and "Discourses on Livy".
Playing a significant role in shaping the Renaissance humanist movement.Notable Works or Actions
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Machiavelli's most notable works are:
The Prince: A treatise on politics and governance that offers practical advice to rulers.
Discourses on Livy: A collection of essays discussing Roman history, politics, and philosophy.
Machiavelli also wrote plays, including "Mandragola" and "Clizia".
Impact and Legacy
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Machiavelli's impact on Western thought is profound. His works have been widely studied for centuries, influencing fields such as politics, philosophy, and literature.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Machiavelli's reputation stems from his groundbreaking works that continue to shape modern understanding of politics, governance, and human nature. Quotes from "The Prince" are often cited in discussions about leadership, power dynamics, and the complexities of human relationships.
Some notable quotes include:
"It is better to be feared than loved, if one cannot be both."
"A prudent ruler cannot, and must not, honor his word when it places him at a disadvantage."
These statements encapsulate Machiavelli's focus on practicality and realpolitik. His ideas continue to influence contemporary debates in politics, business, and beyond.
Machiavelli's life reflects the tension between theory and practice, as he navigated the complexities of Italian politics during a tumultuous period. Despite facing challenges and setbacks, his works endure, offering insights into human nature and governance that remain relevant today.
The enduring appeal of Machiavelli's ideas lies in their ability to challenge conventional wisdom and confront readers with uncomfortable truths about power, politics, and human behavior. As such, his quotes continue to be widely cited and remembered as a testament to the enduring relevance of his work.
Quotes by Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò Machiavelli's insights on:
Men are so simple and yield so readily to the wants of the moment that he who will trick will always find another who will suffer himself to be tricked.
The vulgar crowd always is taken by appearances, and the world consists chiefly of the vulgar.
Men rise from one ambition to another. First, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others.
And if, to be sure, sometimes you need to conceal a fact with words, do it in such a way that it does not become known, or if it does become known, that you have a ready and quick defense.
To understand the nature of the people one must be a prince, to understand the nature of the prince, one must be of the people.
Prudence therefore consists in knowing how to distinguish degrees of disadvantage.
Without doubt, ferocious and disordered men are much weaker than timid and ordered ones. For order chases fear from men and disorder lessens ferocity