On Niccolò Machiavelli: The Bonds of Politics
By Gabriele Pedullà
Columbia University Press
ISBN: 9780231205559
An introduction to the life and writings of Niccolò Machiavelli. The book aims to to explain how this medieval Italian writer conveyed his political ideas and the links between his works that others have often missed.
Excerpt:
In many respects, Machiavelli deserves appreciation as a precursor and innovator, even an iconoclast – but this is just part of the story. In a time when the new classicizing culture of the humanists distinguished Italy from the other European countries, his first-rate education put him in the position of managing countless Roman and Greek sources (in Latin translation), and even if he would eventually oppose humanist political theory in his works, he never stopped looking for inspiration from the ancients (an approach very different from that of Thomas Hobbes, the other presumptive “father” of political modernity).
Who is this book for?
While The Prince has shaped popular perceptions of Machiavelli, gaining a deeper understanding of this influential medieval philosopher requires a broader exploration of his political ideas. This book offers that, and will be useful to anyone wanting an introduction to him. Its concluding section examines how Machiavelli’s writings have been interpreted and utilised from the 16th century to the present day, offering fresh insights into his enduring legacy.
“Pedulla emphasizes that among the ideas in The Prince and Discourses on Livy, one of the most consequential is the notion that it is easier to build an ordered society on selfish interests — which are rational and therefore predictable — rather than on noble passions. Religion is almost always reduced to a political tool, an anti-dogmatic approach that understandably made him a target for infamy, but also worked in his favor in some way precisely because his philosophy was so radical.” ~ review by Tibi Puiu and Mihai Andrei in ZME Science.
The Author
Gabriele Pedullà is professor of Italian literature at the University of Roma. You can learn more about him and his work in this episode of The History of Literature Podcast.
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.
You can buy this book on Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
On Niccolò Machiavelli: The Bonds of Politics
By Gabriele Pedullà
Columbia University Press
ISBN: 9780231205559
An introduction to the life and writings of Niccolò Machiavelli. The book aims to to explain how this medieval Italian writer conveyed his political ideas and the links between his works that others have often missed.
Excerpt:
In many respects, Machiavelli deserves appreciation as a precursor and innovator, even an iconoclast – but this is just part of the story. In a time when the new classicizing culture of the humanists distinguished Italy from the other European countries, his first-rate education put him in the position of managing countless Roman and Greek sources (in Latin translation), and even if he would eventually oppose humanist political theory in his works, he never stopped looking for inspiration from the ancients (an approach very different from that of Thomas Hobbes, the other presumptive “father” of political modernity).
Who is this book for?
While The Prince has shaped popular perceptions of Machiavelli, gaining a deeper understanding of this influential medieval philosopher requires a broader exploration of his political ideas. This book offers that, and will be useful to anyone wanting an introduction to him. Its concluding section examines how Machiavelli’s writings have been interpreted and utilised from the 16th century to the present day, offering fresh insights into his enduring legacy.
“Pedulla emphasizes that among the ideas in The Prince and Discourses on Livy, one of the most consequential is the notion that it is easier to build an ordered society on selfish interests — which are rational and therefore predictable — rather than on noble passions. Religion is almost always reduced to a political tool, an anti-dogmatic approach that understandably made him a target for infamy, but also worked in his favor in some way precisely because his philosophy was so radical.” ~ review by Tibi Puiu and Mihai Andrei in ZME Science.
The Author
Gabriele Pedullà is professor of Italian literature at the University of Roma. You can learn more about him and his work in this episode of The History of Literature Podcast.
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.
You can buy this book on Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
Related Posts
Subscribe to Medievalverse