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Niccolo Machiavelli Biography

Niccolo Machiavelli

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (Italian: [nikkoˈlɔ makjaˈvɛlli]; 3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527) was an Italian diplomat, politician, historian, philosopher, humanist, and writer of the Renaissance period. He has often been called the father of modern political science. For many years he was a senior official in the Florentine Republic, with responsibilities in diplomatic and military affairs. He also wrote comedies, carnival songs, and poetry. His personal correspondence is renowned by Italian scholars. He was secretary to the Second Chancery of the Republic of Florence from 1498 to 1512, when the Medici were out of power. He wrote his most well-known work The Prince (Il Principe) in 1513, having been exiled from city affairs.

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Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes

Decide which is the line of conduct that presents the fewest drawbacks and then follow it out as being the best one, because one never finds anything perfectly pure and unmixed, or exempt from danger.

Being The Best, Decision, Exempt, Line, Lines, Presents

Results are often obtained by impetuosity and daring which could never have been obtained by ordinary methods.

Impetuosity, Obtained, Ordinary, Results, Success

Never lead your soldiers to battle if you have not first confirmed their spirit and known them to be without fear and ordered; and never test them except when you see that they hope to win.

Art, Except, Fear, Hope, War, Winning

. . . . those who become princes through their skill acquire the pricipality with difficulty, buy they hold onto it with ease.

Acquire, Ease, Hold, Politics, Skills

Men are able to assist fortune but not to thwart her. They can weave her designs, but they cannot destroy them.

Men, Design, Able, Assist, Designs

A prince ought to have two fears, one from within, on account of his subjects, the other from without, on account of external powers.

Account, Art, Ought, Prince, Two, War

Conquered states that have been accustomed to liberty and the government of their own laws can be held by the conqueror in three different ways. The first is to ruin them; the second, for the conqueror to go and reside there in person; and the third is to allow them to continue to live under their own laws, subject to a regular tribute, and to create in them a government of a few, who will keep the country friendly to the conqueror

Accustomed, Country, Different, Government, Subject, War

Because there are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, the third is useless.

Appreciate, Class, Classes, Showing, Three, Useless

The state is not an organism capable of bringing either moral or material improvements to the populace. . . but merely a vehicle of power for the men and party in power.

Improvements, Material, Men, Moral, Organism, Party

Minds are of three kinds: one is capable of thinking for itself; another is able to understand the thinking of others; and a third can neither think for itself nor understand the thinking of others. The first is of the highest excellence, the second is excellent, and the third is worthless.

Excellence, Excellent, Mind, Think, Thinking, Worthless

It is much safer for the prince to be feared than loved, but he ought to avoid making himself hated.

Hated, Loved, Making, Ought, Prince

Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.

Evil, Gained, Good, Hate, Hatred, Philosophical

He who has not first laid his foundations may be able with great ability to lay them afterwards, but they will be laid with trouble to the architect and danger to the building.

Ability, Able, Architect, Foundation, May, Trouble

He who has annexed them [some principalities], if he wishes to hold them, has only to bear in mind two considerations: the one that the family of the former lord is extinguished: the other that neither their laws not their taxes are altered.

Extinguished, Family, Law, Lord, Mind, Two

Before all else, be armed.

Armed, Peace, Philosophical, War

I desire to go to Hell and not to Heaven. In the former I shall enjoy the company of popes, kings and princes, while in the latter are only beggars, monks and apostles

Company, Death, Desire, Heaven, Kings, Popes

From the latter he is defended by being well armed and having good allies, and if he is well armed he will have good friends, and affairs will always remain quiet within when they are quiet without, unless they should have been already disturbed by conspiracy; and even should affairs outside be disturbed, if he has carried out his preparations and has lived as I have said, as long as he does not despair, he will resist every attack.

Art, Defended, Good Friend, Quiet, Said, War

A wise prince then. . . should never be idle in times of peace but should industriously lay up stores of which to avail himself in times of adversity so that when fortune abandons him he may be prepared to resist her blows.

Adversity, Blow, Blows, Idle, Wise

We must distinguish between those who depend on others, that is between those who to achieve their purposes can force the issue and those who must use persuasion. In the second case, they always come to grief, having achieved nothing; when, however, they depend on their own resources and can force the issue, then they are seldom endangered.

Art, Case, Grief, Persuasion, Use, War

The one who adapts his policy to the times prospers, and likewise that the one whose policy clashes with the demands of the times does not.

Adapts, Business, Demands, Doe, Literature, Policy

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