machiavelli

renaissance

period of humanism, individualism, and political change

medici clan

powerful banking family dominating florence during machiavelli’s time

lorenzo de medici

patron of the arts and recipient of machiavelli's letter

machiavelli

founder of modern political science, emphasized empirical analysis

inductive method

machiavelli’s approach of learning through facts and observation

diplomatic lessons

realized florence’s overconfidence in its power and status

machiavellian realism

views men as wicked and politics as driven by power and necessity

desire to acquire

natural human drive according to machiavelli

good laws and armies

foundation of all states per machiavelli

three realist propositions

men are wicked, idealism is harmful, security trumps morality

glory

recognition for military or political achievement serving the state

hans morgenthau

introduced power politics to american political theory in the 1940s

kenneth waltz

developed neo-realism; defined success as preserving the state

realpolitik

foreign policy based on power rather than ethics

machiavelli’s republicanism

favored liberty and mixed constitutions like rome and sparta

classical republicanism

inspired by justice and human excellence

machiavelli vs cicero

less idealistic view of politics and human nature

raison d’etat

reason of state justifies all means for political stability

state above morality

actions like cruelty or deception are acceptable if they benefit the state

machiavellism

license to use evil for state prosperity; inspired totalitarian leaders

critique of machiavellism

false belief that evil means can improve the world