117 Machiavelli and The Prince

The History of Literature

Jacke Wilson

Arts, History, Books

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 3 November 2017

⏱️ 67 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) went from being a little-known functionary to one of the most famous and controversial political theorists of all time. His masterpiece Il Principe (or in English, The Prince) has been read, studied, and argued about for 500 years. “A guidebook for statesmen,” said Benito Mussolini. “A handbook for gangsters,” said Bertrand Russell. Why has The Prince been so successful? What does it say about leadership and the role of government and the governed? And what is its relevance today? Host Jacke Wilson takes a look at the disarmingly straightforward text of The Prince – and the experience of reading it during a turbulent time. Support the show at patreon.com/literature. Learn more about the show at historyofliterature.com. Contact the host at jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com. *** This show is a part of the Podglomerate network, a company that produces, distributes, and monetizes podcasts. We encourage you to visit the website and sign up for our newsletter for more information about our shows, launches, and events. For more information on how The Podglomerate treats data, please see our Privacy Policy. Since you're listening to The History of Literature, we'd like to suggest you also try other Podglomerate shows surrounding literature, history, and storytelling like Storybound, Micheaux Mission, and The History of Standup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The History of Literature Podcast is a member of the Podglamorate Network and LIT Hub Radio.
0:07.0	Hello. He's been said to have influenced everyone from Thomas Cromwell and Henry the 8th to Antonio Gramsci and Joseph Stalin. The list of names who have wrestled with his book Il Prince Hepe, or in English, The Prince, reads like a who's who of political philosophy.
0:26.6	Rousseau, Hume, Gibbon, Smith, Lock, Hobbs, Monescue, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and many others. In literature, Shakespeare
0:35.8	appears to have drawn upon his writings in creating the villainous Richard the
0:39.2	third and Marlow made him a character in one of his plays.
0:43.8	He himself once described his day as being filled with long walks, setting snares to catch thrushes,
0:50.6	listening to Woodman arguing over one thing or another, walking from Grove to Spring, a copy of
0:56.8	Dante or Petrarch or Avid in his pocket, and then, quote, In the evening, I return to my house and go into my study.
1:07.0	At the door, I take off the clothes I have worn all day, mud spotted and dirty, and put on regal and courtly garments.
1:16.3	Thus appropriately clothed, I enter into the ancient courts of ancient men, where, being lovingly received, I feed on that food which alone is
1:26.7	mine and which I was born for.
1:29.5	I am not ashamed to speak with them and to ask the reasons for their actions and they courteously answer me."
1:37.0	End quote.
1:38.0	Who was this Italian guru steeped in the arts of diplomacy and war, communing with the ancients and addressing
1:45.7	his thoughts to a hypothetical prince?
1:48.3	How did a 500-year-old book come to have such relevance in so many different societies, and what can we draw from the
1:55.1	prince today?
1:57.1	We're looking at Nicoveli today on the history of literature. Okay, here we go. Hello everyone.
2:13.0	Okay, here we go.
2:17.0	Hello everyone.
2:20.0	Welcome to the podcast. I'm Jack Wilson.
2:22.0	Thanks for joining me. Let's start with an email
	...

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