No matter what they say, the master’s work is inseparable from the vicissitudes of his life and the spirit of his modern era. A vivid example of this is the "Sovereign" Machiavelli. The summary of this treatise fully conveys the turbulent, adventurous biography of the first political strategist, as well as the brilliant and bloody era of the High Renaissance in which he lived.
The mere fact that Niccolo Machiavelli devoted his work to Lorenzo Medici, against whom he participated in the conspiracy, says a lot. And the fact that the Florentine ruler has learned a lot of useful things from this treatise is evidenced by the fact that he never forgave Machiavelli and did not bring him closer to his court.
The son of a judge, Niccolo initially held a prominent post in the Republic of Florence. On behalf of her authorities, he approached the court of Cesare Borgia. He was considered an odious figure even for his bloody time. The illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI, Cesare proved to be a successful politician, assertive and cruel. Leaving mountains of corpses in the wake, he successfully built a power vertical in his duchy Valentina - not without the support of the Vatican. However, after the death of the Pope, fortune turned away from Cesare, dooming him to death (1507). Machiavelli was at the court of the Duke in 1502-1504, accompanied him on military campaigns and along the way scribbled reports to his Florentine employers. However, after the death, it was Cesare who became the prototype of the real ruler, on which the Machiavelli's treatise The Sovereign (1513) is based.
In the original, the title of the book sounds like “Il Principe”, which means “prince”. However, it would be a simplification to consider the work of the Florentine thinker a simple parting word to the ruler, to whom the throne inherited. Man is the blacksmith of his own destiny. So says the proverb of the time, and the "Sovereign" Machiavelli, a summary of which is given here, only confirms this maxim. In the first thirteen chapters, the author discusses what types of boards (republics or tyrannies) are. He also gives several ways of seizing the throne as a story.
“You do not have to rely on the mercies of fate,” writes the lawyer's son, “but to achieve everything with your own valor.” Under this last word (“virtu”) Machiavelli understands both the courage and determination of a lion, and the cunning, caution and meanness of a fox. The mixture of qualities of these two animals should be possessed by the sovereign Machiavelli. The summary of the treatise tells us that the ruler, in order to stay in power, must be cruel and decisively crack down on his political enemies. He does not have to keep his word, if circumstances so require. And in general, it is better to inspire fear in subjects than love.
From the 14th chapter, the book “Sovereign” by Machiavelli, whose summary is hard to overestimate, completely and completely focuses on the personality of a worthy ruler. The author discusses why rulers are condemned and praised, and urges politicians to surround themselves with wise and loyal advisers, rather than flatterers. Analyzing the human nature, he comes to the conclusion that the average man is much more fond of the stolen wallet than the deceased father, and urges to rely on the greed of the allies.
In modern schools of new political technologies, the main guide and textbook is, of course, not the Machiavelli "Sovereign." The content of his work is too open and naively open to our hypocritical world. However, the meaning of this book is not outdated. And this is clearly demonstrated to us by a modern politicum.