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Machiavelli reloaded: Perceptions and misperceptions of the ‘Prince of realism’

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Abstract

This article analyses the impact and legacy of Niccolò Machiavelli’s thought in International Relations. It explores the various and contrasting interpretations that have characterized the ‘Machiavellian Moment’ in political theory and international studies, revisiting some of its fundamental concepts – such as fortuna, virtù, cose di stato – and highlighting their strong heuristic and analytical potential for International Relations. The article also serves as an Introduction to the various sections and contributions of the Special Issue.

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Notes

  1. The full passage goes as follows: ‘For the Lawes of Nature (as Justice, Equity, Modesty, Mercy, and (in summe) doing to others, as we would be done to,) of themselves, without the terrour of some Power, to cause them to be observed, are contrary to our naturall Passions, that carry us to Partiality, Pride, Revenge, and the like. And Covenants, without the Sword, are but Words, and of no strength to secure a man at all’. Cf. Hobbes (1651, p. 85).

  2. According to Hegel (2003, p. 275), the state ‘possesses the highest right in relation to individuals [die Einzelnen], whose highest duty is to be members of the state’.

  3. ‘Vous pourrez aussi voir icy, Monseigneur, comme le devoir d’un bon Prince est d’embrasser est soustenir la Religion Chrestienne, et de cercher et s’enquerir de la pure verité d’icelle, et non pas approuver ni maintenir la fausseté en la Religion comme Machiavel enseigne’ [As you can see, your Excellency, the duty of a good Prince is to support the Christian religion, and to search for and enquire into its pure truth, and not to approve or condone the falsehood in religion as Machiavelli teaches]. Cf. Gentillet (1576, pp. 2–3).

  4. Cf. Machiavelli’s (1979, p. 63) letter to Giovan Battista Soderini: ‘I believe that as Nature has given every man a different face, so she also has given each a different character and imagination. From this it follows that each man governs himself according to his particular character and imagination. And because, on the other hand, times change and the order of things always shifts, the fortunate man, the one whose wishes are completely fulfilled, is he who fits his plan of action to the times; to the contrary, the unhappy man is he who fails to match his actions to the times and to the order of things’.

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Acknowledgements

This Special Issue follows and expands on three panels on ‘Machiavelli and International Relations’ which we convened in June 2014 as part of the 39th BISA Annual Conference in Dublin, Ireland. Our thanks go to all the authors for their contributions and interest in the project, without which this Special Issue would have never seen the light of the day. The authors also owe thanks and gratitude, for their intellectual engagement and friendly presence, to Bianca Baggiarini, Elisabetta Brighi, Dhruv Jain, Alexandros Koutsoukis, Seán Molloy, Gabriella Slomp and Swati Srivastava. They are the most grateful to the then convenor of CRIPT (BISA Working Group on Contemporary Research on International Political Theory) Kamila Stullerova for her extraordinary support and kindness, Brian Rosebury for his insightful comments on the Introduction, and Professor Michael Cox for believing in this project from the beginning.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Livesey House, Preston, PR1 2HE, UK

    Antonio Cerella

  2. The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK

    Ernesto Gallo

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  1. Antonio Cerella
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  2. Ernesto Gallo
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Correspondence to Antonio Cerella.

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Cerella, A., Gallo, E. Machiavelli reloaded: Perceptions and misperceptions of the ‘Prince of realism’. Int Polit 53, 435–446 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1057/ip.2016.8

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