Machiavelli was Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527). He was a politician turned writer who is best known for his novel Principe (The Prince). You can read the novel at this link.Mach·i·a·vel·li·an /ˌmækiəˈvɛliən/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mak-ee-uh-vel-ee-uhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective
1. of, like, or befitting Machiavelli.
2. being or acting in accordance with the principles of government analyzed in Machiavelli's The Prince, in which political expediency is placed above morality and the use of craft and deceit to maintain the authority and carry out the policies of a ruler is described.
3. characterized by subtle or unscrupulous cunning, deception, expediency, or dishonesty: He resorted to Machiavellian tactics in order to get ahead.
–noun
4. a follower of the principles analyzed or described in The Prince, esp. with reference to techniques of political manipulation.
Another link states:
It goes on to say, Machiavelli's later writings espoused the same themes.Machiavelli originally wrote Principe Statue of Machiavelli (The Prince) (1513) in hopes of securing the favor of the ruling Medici family, and he deliberately made its claims provocative. The Prince is an intensely practical guide to the exercise of raw political power over a Renaissance principality. Allowing for the unpredictable influence of fortune, Machiavelli argued that it is primarily the character or vitality or skill of the individual leader that determines the success of any state. The book surveys various bold means of acquiring and maintaining the principality and evaluates each of them solely by reference to its likelihood of augmenting the glory of the prince while serving the public interest. It is this focus on practical success by any means, even at the expense of traditional moral values, that earned Machiavelli's scheme a reputation for ruthlessness, deception, and cruelty.
