Machiavelli

From Radical to Reactionary

Robert Black

• Publisher: Reaktion Books
• Year: 2022
• ISBN:
  9781789146141
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Philosopher Biographies

From a leading expert on the life and works of Niccolò Machiavelli, a superb overview of the pivotal Renaissance philosopher, writer, and historian. "Machiavellian" can signify duplicity and amorality in politics, but Machiavelli himself was far more complex than this cliché. A high-ranking Florentine government official and prolific writer of hugely influential political, military, and historical works, Machiavelli was also a vernacular poet, first-rank dramatist, and religious radical, rejecting not only the contemporary Catholic Church but Christianity itself. From champion of Florentine popular republicanism to political radical to conservative, Machiavelli explores the many facets of the man described as the father of modern political philosophy and political science.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Note on the texts, Translations and References
• Preface
• 1 Humanist, Poet, Civil Servant, 1469–1512
• 2 The Aspiring Medici Courtier, 1512–16
• 3 Republican, Critic of Christianity and Man of Letters, 1515 and Beyond
• 4 The Emerging Conservative, 1519–27
• 5 Machiavelli’s Legacy
• Chronology
• References
• Further Reading
• Photo Acknowledgements
• Index of Works
• General Index