The Prince

<b>A New Perspective on Machiavelli's Practical Ideas and Fuller Dimensions</b><br><br>Since its posthumous publication in 1532 Machiavelli’s treatise on claiming and holding power has been synonymous with deception ruthlessness and even brutality. History generally regards the author of <i>The Prince </i>as a one-note schemer and callous plotter. Some contemporary critics even call him a satirist.<br><br>In this newly introduced and annotated edition of Machiavelli’s most enduring work scholar of esotericism Mitch Horowitz elucidates the greater spectrum of the pragmatic philosopher’s ideas to reveal a figure concerned not just with amoral cunning but possessed of standards and ideals rarely appreciated in modern assessments.<br><br>A fresh look Mitch writes in his introduction “often reveals the unexpected. Machiavelli imbued <i>The Prince</i> with a greater sense of purpose and ethics than is commonly understood…I believe that some who encounter <i>The Prince</i> today will recognize subtleties missing from the value-free rationalism prominent in some precincts of our culture.”<br><br>Mitch’s new assessment and chapter notes highlight practical lessons that give <i>The Prince</i> its immortality. Not all of Machiavelli’s advice remains pertinent or possible in today’s world; nor would most readers wish to act on all of it. But as Mitch explores the political philosopher’s overarching principles warrant careful scrutiny and evaluation.<br><br>This unabridged edition of <i>The Prince </i>is drawn from N.H. Thomson’s 1910 translation published as volume 36 of The Harvard Classics. Antiquated spellings and grammar are updated. Appendices reproduce aphorisms from both <i>The Prince</i> and Machiavelli’s seminally important <i>Discourses on Livy</i> (1531). Pull quotes emphasize key points and Mitch summarizes takeaways following each chapter.