Philosophy

Reading Machiavelli: Scandalous Books, Suspect Engagements, and the Virtue of Populist Politics

A new reading of Machiavelli’s major works that demonstrates how he has been previously misread

Paperback

Price:
$23.95/£20.00
ISBN:
Published (US):
Dec 15, 2020
Published (UK):
Jan 5, 2021
Pages:
288
Size:
5.5 x 8.5 in.
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To what extent was Niccolò 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 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, and he emphasizes the fundamental, often unacknowledged elements of a vibrant Machiavellian politics. Advancing fresh readings of Machiavelli’s work, this book presents a new outlook on how politics should be conceptualized and practiced.


Awards and Recognition

  • A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year