TWO (NEW) ESSAYS ON MAQUIAVELO'S PRINCIPE

Abstract

In the two studies gathered in this paper we treat two problems that have hardly been visited by the vast Machiavellian historiography. In one of these it is established, for the first time as far as we know, the tipology of political obedience in the diverse principalities, and a conclusion is established that only in the new principality as analized by Machiavelli, spirituality is politically recognised in the subject since her interests and needs are respected, which is ultimately the genuine foundation of such obedience. In the other study we explore the image of man as it is tacitly brought into play by the author of Il Principe in diverse contexts, both political and social. We start with the abovementioned context of political obedience, which already presuposses human qualities that amply overwhelm the anthropological dualism described by some of the literature as archetipical of the Machiavellian vision of man. From this point we will see how the individual internally grows into acquiring new qualities which, in a process of continual complexity, ends up developing inside the crust of political absolutism the central characteristics that belong to the citizen of a republic; characteristics which will sooner or later prevail, such as liberty and its passions, responsability, personal autonomy and patriotism.