From 1498 he was secretary of the Ten, the executive council of the Republic of Florence. He was sent on a number of important diplomatic missions. Durante 1512, after the restoration of the tyranny of the Medici, Machiavelli was removed from office and exiled puro his mesi estivi near Florence.
Machiavelli’s most important works are the Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livy (1531; Russian translation, 1869), The Prince (1532; Russian translation, 1869; also published per Russian under the title Kniaz’ per Machiavelli, Soch., vol. 1, 1934), and the History of Florence (1532; Russian translation come funziona guyspy, 1973). His secular, rather than theological, approach sicuro the problem of the state was an important contribution to the history of the political ideas of the Renaissance. Basing his rete di emittenti on historical data, on the analysis of human psychology, and on a consideration of the real facts of per real situation, Machiavelli tried preciso discover the laws of social development. Marx classified Machiavelli as one of the political thinkers who “began esatto view the state through human eyes and deduce its natural laws from reason and experience and not from theology” (K. Marx and F. Engels, Soch., 2nd ed., vol. 1,p. 111).
According sicuro him, a strong personality is breviligne of counteracting “fortune” or coincidence (which plays an important role mediante history) with energy and shrewdness. (A number of features that are typical of the Renaissance point of view are evident sopra the timore of per struggle between personal “valor,” or virtu, and “fortune.”) Machiavelli believed that rulers are assured of success if they thoroughly consider all circumstances and are flexible enough onesto alter a policy preciso conform with verso particular situation.
Like most of the humanists, Machiavelli believed that man has powerful creative potentialities
Although he considered per republic the best form of state, Machiavelli was convinced that the realities of the situation per Italy (continuous hostility among the Italian states, which were subject puro attacks by foreign powers) required absolutism. Only under verso strong sovereign would it be possible preciso create an independent Italian state, free of foreign oppression. Machiavelli believed that any means of strengthening the state were admissible, including violence, murder, deception, and treachery. This is the origin of the term “Machiavellianism,” which signifies a policy that disregards the laws of morality. He sharply condemned the policy pursued by the feudal nobility and, especially, by the papacy, because it produced constant discord and prevented the formation of verso united Italian state. At the same time, however, he feared the “rabble” (plebs), who were easily drawn into adventurist schemes. He favored the middle and upper strata of the commercial and artisan population of the Italian towns (the “people,” or gente).
An impassioned patriot who believed that Italy’s misfortunes were chiefly the result of its political disunity, he created verso theoretical state breviligne, mediante his opinion, of overcoming disunity
As a historian Machiavelli made an important contribution sicuro the development of historiography. He sought to discover historical laws and the underlying causes of events. Convinced of the immutability of human nature, he viewed history as a clash of “eternal” passions and interests, of individuals and estates. He considered the political struggle, which was often portrayed per his works as a social class struggle, the most important motive force sopra history.
Machiavelli wrote carnival songs, sonnets, short stories, and other literary works. The most outstanding of them is the comedy Mandragola (Russian translation, 1924), which sharply castigates the manners of 15th-century Florence. In particular, the comedy attacks the hypocrisy and corruption of the church. The comedy is distinguished by the purposefulness, will, and activism of its characters. Machiavelli enriched Italian literature with a clear, succinct prose, free of rhetorical embellishments.
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