POLS 2000 Lecture Notes - Girolamo Savonarola
28 Jul 2014
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Machiavelli as teacher of evil : he is going to exert cruelty on the people at any cost and gains pleasure, not true, you need to learn how not to be good if you are the ruler, not act morally for the benefit of the state, he is suggesting that the prince does not do this under all circumstances but if there is a threat to the state, or if it is necessary to succeed. Dedicatory pref: the letter is 1513, dedicated to lorenzo, he has the political experience, he has served, this book does not sound like a gift, instead it sounds like a glorified job application, desperate to get back to political life, this is not the meaning of the text but this is what it can be seen as, he is saying that if you want to succeed, you should take your cues from me, advocates reading ancient history.
