The Prince

Niccolò Machiavelli’s most famous work is the treatise “The Prince,” originally published in Russia under the titles “The Prince” and “The Ruler.” Machiavelli developed a doctrine of a systematically secular state, free from church morality. He believed that in the struggle to strengthen the state, any means were acceptable: violence, deception, betrayal. Later, the term “Machiavellianism” came to mean a policy that disregards moral laws.

Machiavelli wrote: “One should understand that the prince, especially a new one, cannot carry out everything for which people consider him good, because in order to preserve the state he is often forced to go against his word—against mercy, kindness, and piety.”

In 1559, the Catholic Church added Machiavelli’s work to the list of banned books.