03-05-2025
This Word Means: Machiavellian
Why now?
Florentine philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli was born on May 3, 1469. Considered to be a father of modern political theory, he is one of the most influential philosophers of all time.
The word 'machiavellian' is used today to characterise the view that politics is amoral, that is, unscrupulous actions are permissible to acquire and maintain political power. It appears in all kinds of contexts and places, including in newspapers like The Indian Express.
Who was Machiavelli?
Niccolo Machiavelli was born in tumultuous times. The unification of Italy was still a few centuries away, and a number of Italian city-states, the Holy Roman Empire, France and Spain were in a constant tussle for power.
Between 1498 to 1512, Machiavelli served as a senior official in the Republic of Florence, with responsibilities in diplomatic and military affairs. As defence secretary, he distinguished himself by executing policies that strengthened Florence politically.
Machiavelli fell out of favour when the Medici family returned to power in 1512. To regain a post, he penned the Il Principe (The Prince) in 1513, his most famous work, dedicated to 'the Magnificent Lorenzo Di Piero De' Medici'. The ideas that are most associated with Machiavelli today can be found in The Prince.
What did Machiavelli say in The Prince?
The book strives to establish 'some universal principles relative to the business of taking and holding power in each kind of state', wrote British novelist Tim Parks in his introduction to The Prince (published in 2014 by Penguin).
Machiavelli's own experience and intellectual honesty lead him to arrive at a simple, but profound conclusion: 'that there are many times when winning and holding political power was possible only if a leader was ready to act outside the moral codes that applied to ordinary individuals', Parks wrote.
This is the essence of what in political theory is referred to as Machiavellianism.
According to historian David Wootton, Machiavelli fundamentally changed what the concern of political philosophers and politics, in general, should be. Wootton wrote: 'Since Plato… Politics was concerned with the definition of the good life and was inseparable from moral philosophy. Machiavelli had no interest in [this]… for him, success, not morality, was what counted.' (Modern Political Thought: Readings from Machiavelli to Nietszche, 1996).
How is the term 'machiavellian' used today?
Depending on one's personal politics, Machiavelli's ideas can have a variety of implications, which lie outside the scope of this basic explainer. What you need to know is that today, the word 'machiavellian' has almost become a synonym for someone who is amoral, that is, she is willing to utilise any means to reach her ultimate end.
A machiavellian politician is someone who is willing to use subterfuge to attain and maintain power. A machiavellian nation state is one whose policies are unconcerned with right or wrong, and only bothered about protecting and expanding its influence.
Even psychologists use 'machiavellian' to refer to a personality characterised by manipulativeness, indifference to morality, lack of empathy, and a calculated focus on self-interest.
