Machiavelli on how democracies die

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Vox Media Podcast Network

Society & Culture, News, Politics, News Commentary, Philosophy

4.6 • 10.8K Ratings

🗓️ 26 May 2025

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Almost nothing stands the test of time. Machiavelli's writings are a rare exception. Why are we still talking about Machiavelli, nearly 500 years after his death? What is it about his political philosophy that feels so important, prescient, or maybe chilling today? In this episode, Sean speaks with political philosopher and writer Erica Benner about Niccolo Machiavelli’s legacy. The two discuss The Prince, Machiavelli’s views on democracy, and what he might say about the Trump administration were he alive today. Host: Sean Illing (@SeanIlling)Guest: Erica Benner, political philosopher, historian, and author of Be Like the Fox Listen to The Gray Area ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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1:21.4	Very few ideas stand the test of time.
1:25.2	And very few works of literature or philosophy are remembered even 50 or
1:29.7	100 years after they were written. What about 500? How many 16th century philosophers do you think
1:36.9	you could name? Thomas Moore, sure. Francis Bacon. Yeah, but it's high school biology textbooks that are keeping him alive.
1:47.0	Montaigne?
1:48.1	Can you name a single thing he wrote?
1:50.9	If you're a philosophy sicko that listens to this show, maybe.
	...

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