The Prince

Original title: Il Principe

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)

Translation en 44890 words First published 1532 Italy

Machiavelli's little book of statecraft, written in 1513 and dedicated to the Medici — and a watershed in the history of political thought. Casting aside moral sermonizing, it examines power as it is, not as it ought to be: is it safer for a prince to be feared or loved? When may promises be broken? Why is a new princedom harder to hold than an inherited one? Condemned for five centuries as wicked and honoured as the founding text of political realism, it remains the clearest account ever written of how modern power works.

Text sourced from Project Gutenberg (public domain in the United States); the Project Gutenberg trademark and license text have been removed on import. Public-domain status determined by the author's death year + 50 years rule.

The Prince

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