The Renaissance was a period during which significant creative and intellectual energies were being put forth across a range of different enterprises, from the visual arts and literature to the sciences, politics, and social interactions. In CastiglioneÆs The Courtier and MachiavelliÆs The Prince, we find two disparate treatises, the former on courtiers and the latter on princes. If the first demonstrates a Renaissance preoccupation with social etiquette and interaction embodying Neo-Platonic ideals, the second illustrates historical pragmatism that Machiavelli found necessary for princes who wished to maintain power.
The Prince is considered one of the most significant contributions to Western political thought. Unlike PlatoÆs Republic, which also deals with politics, MachiavelliÆs Prince does not deal with metaphysics. Instead, he deals with the pragmatic reality of history, which is the condition with which leaders must deal. Machiavelli writes that the prince must at all times act according to the dictates of reality and necessity. There is no room for idealism and altruism, in fact these are dangerous qualities in the face of the realities of politics. As Machiavelli (1965) maintains, ôIt seems to me proper to pursue the real truth of the matter, rather than to indulge in mere speculation on the same; for many have imagined republics and principalities such as have never been known to exist in realityö (76).
Machiavelli argues that most human beings are far from ideal in behavior and motivation. Therefore, a prince who attempts to be good in the face of a populace that is far from good most times is in danger of losing his position. A prince must have situational ethics, ones that enable him to act however he must depending on the circumstances in which he finds himself. As Machiavelli (1965) writes, ôA prince therefore who desires to maintain himself must learn
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