Machiaveli - Are His Ideas Still Relevant?

7 Pages 1840 Words

ication of his principles of state craft to the business world is not the obvious differences but the underlying unity. Modern corporations that are successful and well managed do not necessarily operate in harmony with the personal morality of their employees and for the general good of their communities. Similarly, firms that pollute the environment or ask their employees to lie are not always forced into bankruptcy.
The individualism and secularism that characterized the Italian Renaissance are dominant themes in Machiavelli’s thinking. His use of historical examples throughout The Prince demonstrates an extensive knowledge of Greek and Roman history and is consistent with the newfound love for antiquity of the Renaissance. Machiavelli was, in every sense of the word, a true "renaissance man." He appears to be remarkably well-educated, although limited finances probably prevented him from studying at a major university. As a result, the effect of humanist teachings, prevalent at most of the institutions of higher learning at the time, on Machiavelli was limited. According to Pollock, “Machiavelli’s knowledge of specific details of politics is primarily the culmination of a life-long career as a bureaucrat and diplomat.”
In The Prince, Machiavelli offers advice to rulers as to what they must do to achieve their objectives and secure their power. Butterfield describes Machiavelli’s teaching as a "collection of concrete maxims-war...