Research Catalog

Details

Description

1. xi, 271 pages; 24 cm

Summary

1. "To what extent was Machiavelli a "Machiavellian"? Was he an amoral adviser of tyranny or a stalwart partisan of liberty? A neutral technician of power politics or a devout Italian patriot? A reviver of pagan virtue or initiator of modern nihilism? Reading Machiavelli answers these questions through original interpretations of Niccolò Machiavelli's three major political works--The Prince, Discourses, and Florentine Histories--and demonstrates that a radically democratic populism seeded the Florentine's scandalous writings. John McCormick challenges the misguided understandings of Machiavelli set forth by prominent thinkers, including Jean-Jacques Rousseau and representatives of the Straussian and Cambridge schools." -- Publisher's description

Subject

1. Populism
2. Machiavelli, Niccolò, 1469-1527 > Criticism and interpretation
3. Philosophy
4. To 1599
5. Populism > History > 16th century
6. Populism > History > To 1500
7. Criticism, interpretation, etc
8. History

Genre/Form

1. History.
2. Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Contents

1. Introduction. Vulgarity and virtuosity: Machiavelli's elusive "effectual truth" -- Part I. The passion of Duke Valentino: Cesare Borgia, biblical allegory, and The prince -- "Keep the public rich and the citizens poor": Economic inequality and political corruption in the Discourses -- On the myth of a conservative turn in the Florentine histories -- Part II. Rousseau's repudiation of Machiavelli's democratic roman republic -- Leo Strauss's Machiavelli and the querelle between the few and the many -- The Cambridge school's "Guicciardinian moments" revisited -- Summation. Scandalous writings, dubious readings, and the virtues of popular empowerment -- Notes -- Acknowledgments -- Index.

Call number

1. JFD 19-1078

Bibliography (note)

1. Includes bibliographical references and index.

Author

1. McCormick, John P., 1966- author.

Title

1. Reading Machiavelli : scandalous books, suspect engagements, and the virtue of populist politics / John P. McCormick.

Publisher

1. Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2018]

Copyright date

1. ©2018

Type of content

1. text

Type of medium

1. unmediated

Type of carrier

1. volume

Bibliography

1. Includes bibliographical references and index.

Chronological term

1. To 1599

LCCN

1. 2018935644

ISBN

1. 9780691183503 hardcover
2. 0691183503 hardcover

Research call number

1. JFD 19-1078