may 1, 1532 - The Prince - Machiavelli

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Machiavelli was a civic humanist, and originally he was a secretary to a governing body in Florence. However, he was imprisoned and tortured for plotting against the Medici family. He wrote The Prince, which was about the function of government. Machiavelli argued that a state should preserve order at any cost, even things such as brutality and manipulation. However, Machiavelli believed it was wrong for a ruler to manipulate the public for his own personal gain. Some suggest that Machiavelli’s works were satire, while others believe they should be taken seriously.

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