46). These ideas are actually in direct contradiction to the prevailing religious philosophies of the time. Machiavelli does not seed men judged by God, or even by other men -- but instead by whether the deed one sought was accomplished or not; and if that deed has eventual ramifications that may be good. This Prince may come to power through evil means from himself, from others, or through historical forces.

When he first came in contact with God in Midian where he was tending sheep for his father-in-law Jethro, he saw a burning bush and prostrated before God. After the mission was explained, "Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11). He questioned God continuously during this exchange and showed himself to be

Machiavelli In the sixteenth century, Florence was in a period of turmoil and political instability due to the clashes between different ruling elite. It was in this social and political climate that Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince. The book is a practical guide to world leadership. The author focuses on the qualities of successful and unsuccessful leaders, the nature of their actions and decisions, and how they can and should react

Machiavelli Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli emerged as one of the first true secularist philosophers to come out of the Christian West. In succeeding years his name would become infamous; his views, associated with Satan and immorality. However, Machiavelli's most significant contributions to Western thought never overtly favored scheming or devious methods to more morally acceptable ones. But rather, he generally acknowledged that any actions taken in the acquisition and sustention

What is almost funny about this tactic is that Machiavelli notes the importance of specific circumstances throughout the chapter immediately before making generalized statements, but when it comes to actually judging the efficacy of fortresses, he refrains. However, this does not mean that he does not come up with a general pronounce, it just means that this general pronouncement takes the form of a discussion of the importance of specific

" Parallels with business takeovers are frighteningly stark. Change. In the Prince he says "It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things" (Machiavelli). Relevancy...and Not The impact of Machiavelli's writing on politics has been accepted for some time, but the relevance of his ideas to business had to wait until