Machiavelli initially deviates from Aristotle's argument in "The Prince," when he discusses the harsh reality of human nature as it has manifested in political life. ... Machiavelli advises princes to adopt characteristics that serve their state. ... Machiavelli suggests that princes should classify virtues and vices based on their capability to bring about security and prosperity to both the ruler and their state. Machiavelli primarily writes with a concern for the preservation of the state and the prince. ... In Chapter III, Machiavelli rejects Christian doctrine and instructs men, prin...

• Word Count: 1841
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

In both The Prince and The Discourses, Machiavelli firmly opposed the ambitions of the papacy, emperor, and foreign rulers who created chaos in Italy. ... Machiavelli also commented on the role of religion in a well-run political society. Machiavelli viewed religion as a useful instrument for princes to rule a civilized state. ... Machiavelli holds that religion should be pragmatically infused into political rule as one of many tools to control people. ... Just like Machiavelli addressed religion, although not his main focus, Luther also discussed political theory. ...

• Word Count: 1464
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Fortune, just as it is intertwined with virtue, can also be related to one of Rome's major institutions of religion. Religion was so important to the Romans that it "helped in the control of armies, in encouraging plebs, in producing good men, and in shaming the bad" (Machiavelli, 140). ... Machiavelli tends to put a strong emphasis on Roman religion by addressing the fact that it held the Roman Empire together for such a long period of time, unlike Christianity of his day which kept Italy in disunity. ... Machiavelli explains by saying that "the prince came to be hated, and, since he ...

• Word Count: 1335
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Not only did humanists write about the pagan religions of the classical era, but they also attacked the church for its corruption, such as in Valla's Of the Profession of Religious Life (Kekewich 161). "The Prince," written by Niccolo Machiavelli in 1513, was a great representation of the new ideas that surfaced within literature during the Renaissance. ... Machiavelli stressed the need to conquer new lands and for princes to maintain their power through any means necessary, using Alexander VI, Cesare Borgia, and Julius II as his primary examples. ... With respect and knowledge of the ac...

• Word Count: 2321
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate