POLS 2900 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Civil Religion, Plebs
25 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Machiavelli
Roman political thought extended on the polis. Introduced the notion of natural law, applicable to all
people, bestow duties on all people.
Birth and spread of christianity, cosmopolitain influence. From start was an evangelical religion. Contrast
with judaism. Church told people highest good is the salvation of their souls, apolitical. Heavenly city, gods
kingdom. Became state religion, church remained one transnational institution.
Middle ages - equipped with theological understanding of the highest good.
Roman empire fall - power disintegrated
During the time - social change - monarchs centralize control over regions. Towns were becoming
increasingly interdependent
Ideas should be viewed in relation to two realms
1. Realm of own time: church
2. Ancient republic
Contribution to the genre - typical but not typical. Notorious for advising princes for how and when to not
be good, not unfairly characterized as evil.
“Machiavellian” - deviousness in the pursuit of power
THE PRINCE
Purpose?
Not a warning to republicans. Advice to rulers is the same to republican rulers in other book.
Act ruthlessly if they are required to. Statesmen must shed innocent blood in order to secure the state.
Concerned with contingent truths, practical maxims of statecrafts
When he discusses virtue - different than other theorists, it is about political skill rather than moral virtue
Political life is a given, does not need to be justified. Sees politics as a constant flux, not trying to explain or
predict, takes behaviour for granted
Machiavelli - political theorist
Looks in 2 directions, past and future
Chapters
1-11: diff principalities and how they can be aired
12-14: what armies can serve the prince
15-23: advice to the new prince, not hereditary ruler
24-rest: how Italy came to have its woes
last: to liberate italy
All governments: republics and principalities (hereditary and new)
Hereditary principality - easy to govern, one succeeds another, conduct same way as previous
New - completely new or newly acquired by ruler of another place.
Prince rule: by themselves. Kings, rulers of city states, may have political rival
Republic rule: free states (independent of any state, citizen body actively participates in the state)
Freedom is non domination, not under dominion of any other power. Free citizens not under dominion of
their own ruler.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Introduced the notion of natural law, applicable to all people, bestow duties on all people. Church told people highest good is the salvation of their souls, apolitical. Became state religion, church remained one transnational institution. Middle ages - equipped with theological understanding of the highest good. During the time - social change - monarchs centralize control over regions. Ideas should be viewed in relation to two realms: realm of own time: church, ancient republic. Contribution to the genre - typical but not typical. Notorious for advising princes for how and when to not be good, not unfairly characterized as evil. Machiavellian - deviousness in the pursuit of power. Advice to rulers is the same to republican rulers in other book. Statesmen must shed innocent blood in order to secure the state. Concerned with contingent truths, practical maxims of statecrafts. When he discusses virtue - different than other theorists, it is about political skill rather than moral virtue.
