Christian
view of the state as fallen
Augustine, City
of God: state as punishment for sin
Medieval: descending theory
of power
God as ultimate source of ruler’s authority
Capetian France: idea of sacral monarchy
Dante, On Monarchy: on imperial authority
Scholasticism:
1260 recovery of Aristotle’s Politics
idea of state as natural, not fallen
Thomas Aquinas: state exists before fall
Genre
of advice to Princes:
speculum principis: = “mirror for princes”
prince must have Christian virtues
also humanist versions of this genre
Realism:
based on political experience of invasions
Method: draws on 1) political experience of Italy
2) humanist sources: ancient
history
Political analysis, or the science of politics:
Rules of “political necessity”: the way things
are
not the way
they should be
Variables: fortune: changeableness of things
vs virtù (ability, manliness: not
Christian virtue)
Con
Conclusions from Italian politics & history:
centrality of force and
violence
stability
of state as central goal
Issues:
morality: what makes an action good for Machiavelli?
autonomy of politics: religion not relevant