The Prince and The Discourses by Niccolo Machiavelli

In the late 15th to the 16th centuries, Florence gets into a tumultuous era with the rise of some political issues and weaknesses of the state as a republic, such as the lack of seriousness with its pretensions, the vulnerability of the Italian city-state given the fragility of international alliances and the dangers of placing security in the hands of another power; being involved in a prolonged war with one of its territories, Pisa, puts Florence in an even worse situation. As a person working at the office of the second chancellery of Florence with great interest in politics, Machiavelli tries to come up with some possible solutions that could get Florence into a better situation. Through his political career as a diplomat and secretary under the regime of Piero Soderini, Machiavelli realizes how important the role of the populace is in order for the Florentine government to get close to what he thinks of as the ideal model of republican governance. Although his two books, The Pr ince and The Discourses are mainly about the expected behavior of rulers and the story of expansion of Rome, Machiavelli also contributes a big portion of his books to discuss about the types of roles that the populace should be entrusted with in a republican government. This paper will argue that being supportive of their rulers, bringing liberty to the state and contributing to the establishment of Florence as a solid republican country are the three main contributions that Florentine populaceShow MoreRelatedThe Last Days Of Socrates And Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince And The Discourses1651 Words   |  7 Pagesand framework for political philosophy, are Plato’s The Last Days of Socrates, and Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince and The Discourses. Both pieces take place during political uncertainty with surrounding societal turmoil. Each take a different approach to how these issues must be dealt with. 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