Machiavelli's 'The Prince': A Reader's Guide

ISBN-13: 9780826498779 / Angielski / Miękka / 2013 / 168 str.

Miguel Vatter

Opis

Machiavelli's influence on modern politics and the importance of his thought for the development of modern political ideas has long been universally acknowledged. The Prince has become a key text in Philosophy and Political Theory, one that is widely read and studied. Machiavelli's most important work is a hugely exciting, yet challenging, piece of philosophical writing. In Machiavelli's 'The Prince': A Reader's Guide, Miguel Vatter offers a clear and thorough account of this key philosophical work. Setting Machiavelli's text in its historical and philosophical context, the book offers a detailed review of the key themes (epistemological, social, ethical and theological-political) and a lucid commentary that will enable readers to rapidly navigate the text. Geared towards the specific requirements of students who need to reach a sound understanding of the text as a whole, the guide explores the complex and important ideas inherent in the text and provides a cogent survey of the reception and influence of Machiavelli's work. This is the ideal companion to study this most influential of texts.

Recenzje

This is a lively, original and bracing account of Machiavelli's revolutionary intervention in the history of political thought. In short compass, Vatter deftly explicates Machiavelli's critique of the classical and medieval natural law tradition, his Lucretian revaluation of contingency, his anticipations of liberal and democratic theory, and his complex attitude towards religion. I enthusiastically recommend this wonderful reader's guide. Victoria Kahn, Katharine Bixby Hotchkis Chair in English, University of California, Berkeley, USA 20130402

Spis treści

AcknowledgementsAbbreviations to the Works of Machiavelli1. Context: The Renaissance and the Machiavellian "Moment"2. Overview: The Prince as a Work of Rhetoric and of Philosophy 3. The Seduction of a Prince: Dedication. 4. Acquiring State: chapters 1-6.5. Securing Society: chapters 7-10.6. Arming the People: chapters 11-14. 7. The New Prince Goes through the Looking Glass: chapters 15-23.8. Disarming Fortune and the Arming of Heaven: chapters 24-26.9. Reception and InfluenceNotesNotes for Further Reading Selective BibliographyIndex

O autorze

Miguel Vatter is Professor of Politics in the School of Social Sciences at the University of New South Wales, Australia. He has written extensively on Machiavelli, republicanism, biopolitics, and political theology.