Niccollo Machiavelli -Lasting Impact Essay Example

Niccollo Machiavelli – His Lasting Impact If you say the name Machiavelli today, the first thing many people may think of is his most famous writing, The Prince. They may also have negative thoughts about his philosophies, in particular "that the end justifies the means". (Machievelli 164) Niccolo Machiavelli was more than just the author of a controversial book, and his impact is still felt today. The dictionary contains the word "machiavellian" and defines it as an adjective "suggesting the principles of conduct laid down by Machiavelli; specifically: marked by cunning, duplicity, or bad faith".(Webster's Dictionary 275) Machiavelli left a legacy that has caused abuses of power in government, business, and a negative attitude towards politicians. Niccolo Machiavelli grew up in Florence, Italy when it was a thriving center of the Rennaisance. In his personal life, he lived by high standards and had a good reputation amongst the people that knew him. He lived through the French invasions of Italy and was educated not only through formal schooling, but through experience of working his way up through the governmental system and paying attention as history happened around him. Machiavelli could be considered a sincere student of history and he believed in the republican form of government and wanted to live in a free society.
Machiavelli began his political career in 1504 as an assistant in the chancellery of the Florentine government for one of his teachers, Piero Soderini, and advanced to the position of Secretary to the Council of Ten .(Kishlansky 340) He served as an administrator, traveling with the Council to Germany and France, working tirelessly on diplomatic negotiations and supervising military operations at a time that Italy was in political chaos. Through his duties he met many political leaders and studied their styles and political tactics. He was not always in favor of the methods that were being used by the leaders, but he was