What images does the name Machiavelli conjure up? Political opportunism? Cold-blooded manipulation? The ends that justify the means? But does the Machiavelli most of us think we know bear any resemblance to the Machiavelli who lived, pondered, and wrote? Professor William R. Cook offers the opportunity to meet an extraordinarily thoughtful and sincere student of history and its lessons.
Machiavelli in Context
Meet an extraordinarily thoughtful and sincere student of history and its lessons—the notorious Niccolò Machiavelli—whose public reputation differs drastically from the man’s personal beliefs and political leanings.
01: Who Is Machiavelli? Why Does He Matter?
Place Machiavelli in the context of the history of Western political thought, addressing the debate over the "real" Machiavelli and examining his role as the first "modern" thinker.
32 min
02: Machiavelli’s Florence
What sort of place was Florence in the period we call the Renaissance? The lecture introduces us to an independent entity constantly working to gain advantage over its Italian neighbors as well as deal with the great European monarchies.
30 min
03: Classical Thought in Renaissance Florence
The Renaissance can best be understood as an educational movement that approached and found value in the classics in new ways. This lecture introduces the principal tenets of Renaissance Humanist thought and practice.
31 min
04: The Life of Niccolò Machiavelli
During the republican interlude that interrupted the Medici domination, Machiavelli led an active life as a part of Florence's government.
31 min
05: Why Did Machiavelli Write The Prince?
Learn the circumstances in which Machiavelli produced his most famous work, The Prince, as well as the degree to which his ideas are quite original.
31 min
06: The Prince, 1–5—Republics Old and New
The episode begins the in-depth exploration of The Prince, including the view that it was an attempt to win the favor of the Medici.
31 min
07: The Prince, 6–7—Virtù and Fortuna
We look at two terms Machiavelli uses often and what he intends them to mean before moving into the heart of one of the book's most famous chapters, in which Machiavelli introduces Cesare Borgia, often referred to as his role model for a modern prince.
31 min
08: The Prince, 8–12—The Prince and Power
Machiavelli examines civil principalities, leading to a discussion of the prince's relationship with the citizens he governs, including his claim that it is more important for a prince to have the support of the people rather than the nobility.
30 min
09: The Prince, 13–16—The Art of Being a Prince
Machiavelli denounces the common practice of his day for Italian city-states to rely on auxiliary soldiers, and lays out part of what is new in his political thought, pointing out that human weakness lessens the value of those in the past who have written of ideal, imaginary republics.
30 min
10: The Prince, 17–21—The Lion and the Fox
Should a prince be loved or feared, if he cannot be both? Traditional thinkers would have chosen the former, while Machiavelli argues for the latter. Similarly, Machiavelli asks if it is necessary or wise for a prince always to keep his word.
31 min
11: The Prince, 21–26—Fortune and Foreigners
Machiavelli states that a prince must gain the esteem of his people and then addresses several important issues regarding a prince's court (including advisors and how to use them and the problem of flattery) before focusing once again on contemporary Italy and its problems.
31 min
12: Livy, the Roman Republic, and Machiavelli
We turn to Machiavelli's most carefully thought out and longest book on political thought, "Discourses on the First Ten Books of Livy," beginning with a description of the Roman Republic and a broad view of how Livy understood Rome's republican past.
31 min
13: Discourses—Why Machiavelli Is a Republican
Machiavelli argues that it was conflict between patricians and plebians that led to the full development of Rome's republican constitution. Hence, conflict can be either destructive or positive in a nation. While it was good for Rome, it was bad for Florence.
31 min
14: Discourses—The Workings of a Good Republic
Machiavelli holds that a Republic requires a strong man who is unafraid to act boldly (citing Numa's establishment of a moral structure for citizens) and looks forward, as well, asking what happens if the citizenry becomes corrupted.
31 min
15: Discourses—Lessons from Rome
Machiavelli examines several questions relating to the governance and reform of a republic including the roles played by merit, tradition, initiative, and punishment before making a case for the freedom that comes with knowledge of the past.
31 min
16: Discourses—A Principality or a Republic?
After contrasting a virtuous republic with a city without virtue, Machiavelli writes about his beliefs in signs and prophecies, a reminder to us that Machiavelli is both a man of his time and a modern man.
30 min
17: Discourses—The Qualities of a Good Republic
Although Machiavelli dealt with the role of fortune in "The Prince," he takes up the issue again at the beginning of his second discourse, considering claims that Rome was more lucky than skilled or virtuous in its stability and growth during several republican centuries.
31 min
18: Discourses—A Republic at War
Machiavelli discusses the organization and practice of warfare in ancient Rome, offering us the opportunity to draw lessons that override the details of the kind of warfare no longer waged in our time.
30 min
19: Discourses—Can Republics Last?
Concerned for war-torn Italy, Machiavelli takes up several issues that Livy dealt with in his "History of Rome," ultimately worrying about how nations, and especially republics, can survive in a dangerous and unpredictable world.
31 min
20: Discourses—Conspiracies and Other Dangers
With famous historical examples to emphasize the importance of taking action against opposition when a change of government occurs, Machiavelli writes about the nature of conspiracies and the qualities different historical circumstances demand of a leader, then reiterates several of his major themes.
31 min
21: Florentine Histories—The Growth of Florence
Writing his most important work of history "Florentine Histories" as a commission from the Medici, Machiavelli applies many of the ideas set forth in "The Prince" and "Discourses."
31 min
22: Florentine Histories—The Age of the Medici
The Pazzi conspiracy of 1478 is an attempt to overthrow Medici rule by assassinating Lorenzo de Medici and his brother Giuliano. It becomes for Machiavelli a case study that illuminates the particular issue of conspiracies and how we learn from history.
31 min
23: The Fate of Machiavelli’s Works
Machiavelli's major works fail to find publication in his lifetime, but his republican thought, at least indirectly, contributes to the development of an American republican tradition.
31 min
24: Was Machiavelli a Machiavellian?
The final lecture addresses the most important questions we need to ask about Machiavelli, including the fairness of the judgment brought on him by history, and why he remains such a vital model, even after five centuries.
31 min
Overview Course No. 4311
About
Dr. William R. Cook is the Distinguished Teaching Professor of History at the State University of New York at Geneseo, where he has taught since 1970. He earned his bachelor's degree cum laude from Wabash College and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa there. He was then awarded Woodrow Wilson and Herbert Lehman fellowships to study medieval history at Cornell University, where he earned his Ph.D. Professor Cook teaches courses in ancient and medieval history, the Renaissance and Reformation periods, and the Bible and Christian thought. Since 1983 Professor Cook has directed 11 Seminars for School Teachers for the National Endowment for the Humanities. His books include Images of St. Francis of Assisi and Francis of Assisi: The Way of Poverty and Humility. Dr. Cook contributed to the Cambridge Companion to Giotto and edits and contributes to The Art of the Franciscan Order in Italy. Among his many awards, Professor Cook has received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 1992 the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education named him New York State's Professor of the Year. In 2003 he received the first-ever CARA Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Medieval Studies from the Medieval Academy of America.
