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No text has attracted more controversy over the centuries than Machiavelli's The Prince. Placed on the Index of Prohibited Books by the Catholic Church in 1599, The Prince nevertheless proved to be the means by which Machiavelli came to be known throughout Europe, establishing his name as a byword for the cunning and unscrupulous politician.
Written as the medieval world was giving way to the new dynamic of renaissance capitalism, The Prince embodies a whole series of vital issues that affect our understanding of modern politics, including power and morality, history and human nature, language and meaning, gender and government. It is these issues which the essays in this volume debate and explore from a variety of perspectives, from the original responses to The Prince through to feminist and deconstructive approaches. The result is a volume packed with ideas and insights.
With contributions by international scholars and critics, a chronological table and select bibliography, this is an essential guide for anyone studying Machiavelli.
1. Introduction – Martin Coyle
2. The Prince and its early Italian readers – Brian Richardson
3. Machiavelli’s via moderna: medieval and Renaissance attitudes to history – Janet Coleman
4. Dialogue in The Prince – John Parkin
5. Language and The Prince – John M. Najemy
6. The end justifies the means: end-orientation and the discourses of power – Maggie Günsberg
7. The Prince and textual politics – Andrew Mousley
8. Machiavelli’s political philosophy in The Prince – Maureen Ramsay
Appendix – Machiavelli’s letter to Francesco Vettori, 10 December 1513 – Brian Richardson translator
Select Bibliography
Index