Machiavelli+immoral+means+essay

toc Does Machiavelli advocate “immoral” means in politics and war? Present specific textual evidence, pro and con. How does Machiavelli’s view of politics differ from Ancient and Christian views of politics? =Instructions= =Resources= include page="Machiavelli bibliography" editable="true"
 * Read Machiavelli's //The Prince//, or as much as possible from it. (It's a slim book, worth reading in its entirety). You are not required to restrict yourself to the selections in the //Brown et al.// textbook; the assigned reading goes beyond those sections, and it's all available on the [|internet]. Read also the selections from the //[|Discourses]//.
 * Do some secondary research - read some of the articles listed below, or do your own research. The point is to get acquainted with contrasting interpretations of Machiavelli, not so much to reproduce them in your paper; you still have to argue your own view, regardless of what others say.
 * Select a specific thesis: do you think Machiavelli advocates immorality or not? Is he a "teacher of evil"? Consider whether Machiavelli might have a "moral" purpose for advocating immorality.
 * Discuss evidence that supports your view as well as passages that appear to undermine it.
 * In a concluding section (a few paragraphs) discuss the ways in which Machiavelli's view of politics (moral or immoral) might be similar or different from the views of politics of at least one of the Ancient or Medieval thinkers we have studied: Aristotle, Cicero, Thucydides, Aquinas, Erasmus, or Vitoria. Does Machiavelli advocate the use of means that other writers would have condemned? Why? Does he value other things more than they did? Why? Remember to provide citations from the thinkers you are using to contrast with Machiavelli.