The Encounter of Action and Times as Explanation of Fortuna

Abstract

The text known as the Ghiribizzi al Soderino ^l has been rightly said to contain “the most unique and mature fruit“ of Machiavelli’s writings during his active political life, prior to the main works.² The text addresses the traditional, and all too pertinent, question of the change of fortune in the life of individuals. But from the start Machiavelli makes clear that his perspective on the question differs from the one of the addressee. The “mirror” through which he sees the world is not that of Soderini (“wherein nothing but prudence is visible”) but that of “the many, who think that one should judge things in terms of the end to which they are done, and not the means with which they are done.” From the perspective of the people, of the “many,” actions are judged in view of their consequences. Irrespective of who the real addressee of the Ghiribizzi is (whether Machiavelli intended his views to reach Piero Soderini, the political leader, or just stay with his nephew), it is not difficult to see that he is drawing a contrast with the perspective of the traditional civic humanist statesman³ who judges actions in accordance to the morality of the means that are employed to carry out the end.⁴ The distinction between the “prudent” and the “popular” ways of proceeding in politics sets the stage for Machiavelli’ s attempt to think the problem of historical change through a critique of the classical republican doctrine of prudence.