Niccolo Machiavelli — The Father of Modern Politics
Niccolo Machiavelli was the first political thinker to differentiate politics from morality. He was focused on reality and what needs to be achieved rather than considering what was right or wrong. He had great emphasis on practical and pragmatic strategies over philosophical ideas. I have admired much of Machiavelli’s ideas and I wanted to give a different perspective to his life. It is remarkable that his work from the 16th century is still relevant today and he is without doubt one of the most influential people ever in politics.
Background
Machiavelli arguably had the greatest influence from the Renaissance period. Although he was not a religious leader or a great artist, he was a man of action. At the tender age of 29, he acquired a key role in the government of Florence where he was trusted with diplomatic missions for local Italians and European courts. Machiavelli’s strengths also enabled him to take more direct action as demonstrated when he led troops to capture the town of Pisa under the Florentine militia. However, his most notable mark on history would be his book, “The Prince” which describes how a leader can gain and maintain power. Here he disregarded the idea of right and wrong. “The Prince” is one of the most important books in history and it is still studied to this day.
