Niccolo Machiavelli

1469-1527
The Prince 1532
"I desire to go to hell and not to Heaven. In the former I shall enjoy the company of popes, kings and princes while in the latter are only beggars, monks, and apostles."

• The Prince must seek to create stability and personal security for his or her subjects. In order to do so he or she must attain power and retain power.
• For that reason, public morality and private morality are two different things. He or she must be willing to engage in deceit, dishonesty, treachery, and resort to violence when necessary. The ends justify the means.
• Machiavelli realized that "...an occasional act of tyranny might be necessary to save freedom" (Harvey Mansfield)
• Not surprisingly, the Prince was banned by the Roman Catholic Church.