Summarize videos instantly with our Course Assistant plugin, and enjoy AI-generated quizzes: https://bit.ly/ch-ai-asst Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince explained with chapter summaries in just a few minutes!

Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe provides an in-depth summary and analysis of Chapter 1 of Niccolò Machiavelli's philosophical text The Prince.

Download the free study guide and infographic for The Prince here: https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Prince/infographic/

Niccolò Machiavelli's treatise The Prince is among the world's most celebrated and controversial works on governance. Dedicated by the Italian philosopher and diplomat to a member of Florence's ruling Medici family, The Prince is a treatise of practical advice to rulers on winning and keeping power.

Machiavelli discusses both hereditary and conquered kingdoms, notably condoning the use of brutal force in combination with strategic political alliances to ensure the stability of newly acquired territory.

Proposing a series of analyses on how to best rule a kingdom, the volume draws on the guile of the kings and princes of history.

The work is noted for its amoral character: manipulation and deception in the best interest of the state and its ruler are shown as perfectly acceptable. Such "necessary evils" define his ruthless brand of pragmatism.

Yet, Machiavelli is not insensible to fairness and moderation. He advocates a balance between the interests of the ruler and the ruled.

Though this balance may seem unacceptable to modern audiences, he draws ample support from the lessons of past rulers and makes a compelling case for the efficacy of his cutthroat political philosophy.

Florentine Secretary Niccolò Machiavelli's treatise The Prince was written in 1513. Imprisoned, tortured, and exiled, Machiavelli drafted The Prince, dedicating it to the Medicis, perhaps to get into their good graces. Advocating deceit to achieve goals, the more than five-century-old work continues to be central to the realist school of political thought.

The political treatise The Prince contains many powerful themes, including necessary evil, as Machiavelli argues that deeds considered immoral may be important to a political goal; practicality, as desired results must be achieved in the world as it is, rather than in one that is perfect; class, as how to carefully resolve conflicts between different sections of society is examined; and lessons of history, as similar past situations, Machiavelli argues, should inform current political strategies. Important symbols include the centaur, the lion, and the fox.

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