Philosophy Dictionary of ArgumentsHome
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| Niccolo Machiavelli: Niccolò Machiavelli (1469 – 1527) was an Italian politician, diplomat, philosopher, historian, and writer who lived during the Renaissance. He is best known for his political treatise The Prince (Il Principe), written around 1513. See also Power, Governance, Politics, Society, State._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. | |||
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Otfried Höffe on Machiavelli - Dictionary of Arguments
Höffe I 186 Machiavelli/Höffe: Although Machiavelli releases the politician from morality, he does not suspend him from it in principle, but only under certain conditions. Instead of disregarding him in principle, he merely represents a provisional amorality. Among the reasons are the political requirements of the time. Machiavelli lives in an epoch of political turmoil and, from the point of view of the history of ideas, in a time of change, in which the echoes of ancient and medieval thought mix with the echoes of modernity. Höffe I 190 The theme dominating the Prince [Machiavelli's major work] is political power. But it's not about its legitimation or even self-legitimation, but about its acquisition and preservation. >Power. Höffe I 196 One likes to interpret Machiavelli's political innovation in terms of emancipation, of liberation from a shackle foreign to politics. Such emancipation is true, but only with three limitations: 1. Emancipation is more likely to occur in relation to the theory of the political than in relation to politics itself. 2. The Reigning Prince does not represent that great emancipation which frees politics from all the fetters of morality. 3. [Machiavelli] (...) does not even consider this emancipation to be fundamental, but only permissible in case of emergency, for example if one has to expect the opponent to break his word. Höffe I 200 A leading authority of the Counter-Reformation, the Jesuit Giovanni Botero: (c. 1 544-1617), tries to integrate Machiavelli's relative innovation, the rules of prudence for the benefit of state power, into the tradition of Christian natural law. Francis Bacon: praises political realism, which "openly and frankly" sets out "what people do Höffe I 201 and not what they would be obliged to do”(1). >F. Bacon. Jean-Jacques Rousseau: in his main work of state philosophy, the Social Contract (1762), Machiavelli declares that he was a sophisticated enlightener who, under the pretext ("en feignant") of teaching kings, in reality taught the peoples (...). >J.-J. Rousseau. Johann Gottfried Herder: in the Letters for the Promotion of Humanity(2), he combines Machiavelli's esteem with a historicisation that continues in the case of Fichte, Hegel and Ranke and reaches as far as Italy's national unity movement, the Risorgimento ("Resurrection"). >J.G. Herder, >J.G. Fichte, >L.v. Ranke. Hegel: (...) as similarly later the historian Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886) praised the Florentine as a statesman who, in view of the misery of Italy, "with cold deliberation grasped the necessary idea of saving Italy by uniting it in one state". >G.W.F. Hegel. Nietzsche: (...) [increases] the "Machiavellianism of power" to the "type of perfection in politics" (...). >F. Nietzsche. Lenin: emphazises the "prince" as a poison against stupidity. >W. I. Lenin. Mussolini: seeks ((s) in Machiavelli) a philosophical justification for his politics. Gramsci: (...) lists the "early" in the sense of "early Jacobinism". >A. Gramsci. Carl Schmitt: identifies with Machiavelli in a playful way, since he calls his house in Plettenberg "San Casciano". It is named after the country house near San Casciano, where Machiavelli wrote his two main works. Leo Strauss: (...) admires both works as visionary, revolutionary books, but renews the spirit of evil accusations. >C. Schmitt. 1. F. Bacon, De augmentis scientiarum, 1623, VII, 2 2. J.G. Herder, Briefe zur Beförderung der Humanität, Nr. 58_____________Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition. |
Höffe I Otfried Höffe Geschichte des politischen Denkens München 2016 |
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> Counter arguments against Höffe
> Counter arguments in relation to Machiavelli
Ed. Martin Schulz, access date 2024-04-24