"Machiavelli's Ethics" challenges the most entrenched
understandings of Machiavelli, arguing that he was a moral and
political philosopher who consistently favored the rule of law over
that of men, that he had a coherent theory of justice, and that he
did not defend the "Machiavellian" maxim that the ends justify the
means. By carefully reconstructing the principled foundations of
his political theory, Erica Benner gives the most complete account
yet of Machiavelli's thought. She argues that his difficult and
puzzling style of writing owes far more to ancient Greek sources
than is usually recognized, as does his chief aim: to teach readers
not how to produce deceptive political appearances and rhetoric,
but how to see through them. Drawing on a close reading of Greek
authors--including Thucydides, Xenophon, Plato, and
Plutarch--Benner identifies a powerful and neglected key to
understanding Machiavelli.
This important new interpretation is based on the most
comprehensive study of Machiavelli's writings to date, including a
detailed examination of all of his major works: "The Prince, The
Discourses, The Art of War, " and "Florentine Histories." It helps
explain why readers such as Bacon and Rousseau could see
Machiavelli as a fellow moral philosopher, and how they could view
"The Prince" as an ethical and republican text. By identifying a
rigorous structure of principles behind Machiavelli's historical
examples, the book should also open up fresh debates about his
relationship to later philosophers, including Rousseau, Hobbes, and
Kant.
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