It is interesting to note that Machiavelli, living in the highly controlled era of Roman Catholic domination in Renaissance Italy, uses Moses as his "hero", because he believed that Moses was one of the greatest leaders of our world. His reason? Moses created a new religion, founded a state, and talked with God. Part of this departure from considering Catholic saints to be "great" in his concept of the State, is that Machiavelli despised the corruption of the Church in his time. "The Prince", in essence, was his reply to that corruption. Yet, the example of Moses is presented in "The Prince" not for Moses' human leadership traits as much as the fact that he followed God's instructions. This, in context of Machiavelli's distrust and disillusionment with his Church, is a direct slap -- so it seems -- at the men of the Church for not doing as Moses did -- following the instructions of God.
Along this same subject, Machiavelli clearly states about Moses, that "he should be admired, not for his own skill, but that grace that made him worthy to talk with God" (p. 19). One can feel certain that it is not semantics that uses the phrase "talk with God" rather than the more mundane "talk to God." It is, therefore, Moses' skills and his leadership of a downtrodden people that makes a conversation with God possible. It becomes a conversation not a plea or a prayer. It is by this simple example of "talking with God" that Machiavelli is attempting to position a leader, a Prince, one whom people will follow, in a situation that permits a conversation, not an entreaty, with
God. It is this state of grace, yet subservience at the same time, that creates a picture of an admirable leader.
The use of Moses as the primary example (he then uses Cyrus and others who have founded or enlarged kingdoms) of a leader aiming high. Machiavelli uses the term virtu, a certain range of aiming high, of political and leadership s
...