Political Ideas of Niccolo Machiavelli, Francesco Guicciardini, and Thomas Hobbes

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Political Ideas of Niccolo Machiavelli, Francesco Guicciardini, and Thomas Hobbes

The sections that I will be presenting are 73, 74, and 75. I will discuss the political ideas of Niccolo Machiavelli, Francesco Guicciardini, and Thomas Hobbes during the time of Florence Republic. First, Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy in 1469 at a time when the country was in political upheaval. Italy was divided between four dominant city-states, by which each of them was always at the mercy of the continual changing of princes and governments.

In Donald Kelley's Version of History, the Medici family had brought a form of stability to Florence, but the golden age of Florentine republic soon declined after the death of Lorenzo Medici. Throughout his life Machiavelli had come to develop a strong love for Florence, and an absolute honorable sense of service to those ruling it. He hoped to make it great, powerful, and lasting like that of the Roman Empire.

In Kelley, Machiavelli briefly mentions the books of Titus Livius, which gives him the opportunity to express his own views on the government of the state. Machiavelli's model republic was that of the Roman commonwealth, the most successful and enduring example of popular government. He acknowledges three kinds of government, the monarchial, the aristocratic, and the democratic. He then goes on to mention that there are six kinds of government, three of which are bad, and three good in themselves. However, he believes the three bad government will result in the fall of the good. Machiavelli constantly reminds us of his preference towards a republican form of government and his admiration for the Roman Empire. He insists on establishing a government with the political will ...

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...countered.

Thomas Hobbes: section 75

My final discussion is about Thomas Hobbes born in 1588 and died in 1679. He proposes to show the value of history and a means of understanding the causes of political decline and in particular the dangers of democracy. In Donald Kelley, Hobbes discusses the kinds of government that can be instituted. The two main forms are monarchy, and democracy. I believe Hobbes thinks that a monarchy is best for several reasons. Monarch's interests are the same as the people, and in addition, there would be less chance of a war. Of the two kinds of Government mentioned above Hobbes dislikes the democratic form of government. Hobbes believes that if people are fearful they must submit to the absolute supremacy of the state. Hobbes praises the government of Athens, which was under the rule of Pericles and for establishing a monarchy system.

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