Niccolò Machiavelli

Full Name: Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli
Profession: Humanist Philosopher and Author

Nationality:

Biography: Niccolò Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat and philosopher, best known for his political work, The Prince (Il Principe) in which he outlines an instruction guide for new princes. This work has earned him enduring fame, and infamy, for the apparent theme that immorality can be justified by its results.

During his career, Machiavelli had been an official in the Florentine Republic. He was involved in diplomatic and military affairs, but also wrote a variety of works from comedies to carnival songs and poetry. Machiavelli served as secretary to the Second Chancery of the Republic of Florence during the period in which the Medici were out of power.

Machiavelli himself has come to be vilified for his work, with the term Machiavellian referring to the sort of power-hungry and unscrupulous attitude that is apparent advised in his book. He has even been blamed for this trend in modern politics, whereas others defend his work as merely being characterized by a strict realism.

Beyond the Prince, Machiavelli also wrote the Discourses on Livy (c. 1517). This and other works were major influences for Enlightenment authors such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and James Harrington, as well as more recently academics and politicians such as Hannah Arendt and Otto von Bismarck.

Born: May 3, 1469
Birthplace: Florence, Italy
Star Sign: Taurus

Died: June 21, 1527 (aged 58)