The People’s Princes: Machiavelli, Leadership, and Liberty
By John P. McCormick
The University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 978-0-226-84237-0
While Niccolò Machiavelli is often associated with ruthless or disreputable tactics, a closer reading of his works reveals a far more nuanced thinker with substantial insights into politics and government. This book explores his ideas on the relationship between rulers and the people they govern.
Excerpt:
Picking up where my previous studies of Machiavelli left off, this book further illuminates radically novel aspects of Machiavelli’s corpus that are broadly studied, if still too often misunderstood. Perhaps reluctant to give credence to traditional tyrannical, or even excessively autocratic, interpretations of the man, scholars contributing to the recent “democratic turn” in Machiavelli studies have largely eschewed the place of leadership in his political thought. The People’s Princes fills this conspicuous void by engaging Machiavelli’s understanding of the mutually reinforcing relationship of civic leadership and popular government.
Who is this book for?
If one can get past The Prince, it becomes clear that Niccolò Machiavelli wrote extensively on political philosophy, and a book like this serves as a valuable guide to that wider body of work. It explores themes such as the relationships between leaders, elites, and the common people, as well as what happens when corruption or tyranny take hold.
Those interested in government and politics—whether medieval or modern—will find much to consider here. It is helpful to have read, or at least have on hand, works such as The Prince, Discourses on Livy, and Florentine Histories.
“McCormick’s books Machiavellian Democracy (2011) and The People’s Princes: Machiavelli, Leadership, and Liberty (2024) reinterpret Machiavelli as an advocate for “popular republicanism” rather than ruthless rulers. This perspective offers a new way to consider post-Trump U.S. governance amid declining trust and increasing polarization.” ~ review by Bill Brantley in PA Times
“Is Machiavelli a radical democrat? The simple truth, in my view, is that Machiavelli believes states are engaged in a ruthless and endless struggle, each against all the others. The states that are most effective in this struggle are neither tyrannies nor democracies, but those that are driven to external expansion by the internal conflict between elites and the populace.” ~ a more negative review by David Wootton in Engelsberg Ideas
The Author
John P. McCormick is a political scientist and professor at the University of Chicago. His research focuses on political theory, and Machiavelli in particular.
The People’s Princes: Machiavelli, Leadership, and Liberty
By John P. McCormick
The University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 978-0-226-84237-0
While Niccolò Machiavelli is often associated with ruthless or disreputable tactics, a closer reading of his works reveals a far more nuanced thinker with substantial insights into politics and government. This book explores his ideas on the relationship between rulers and the people they govern.
Excerpt:
Picking up where my previous studies of Machiavelli left off, this book further illuminates radically novel aspects of Machiavelli’s corpus that are broadly studied, if still too often misunderstood. Perhaps reluctant to give credence to traditional tyrannical, or even excessively autocratic, interpretations of the man, scholars contributing to the recent “democratic turn” in Machiavelli studies have largely eschewed the place of leadership in his political thought. The People’s Princes fills this conspicuous void by engaging Machiavelli’s understanding of the mutually reinforcing relationship of civic leadership and popular government.
Who is this book for?
If one can get past The Prince, it becomes clear that Niccolò Machiavelli wrote extensively on political philosophy, and a book like this serves as a valuable guide to that wider body of work. It explores themes such as the relationships between leaders, elites, and the common people, as well as what happens when corruption or tyranny take hold.
Those interested in government and politics—whether medieval or modern—will find much to consider here. It is helpful to have read, or at least have on hand, works such as The Prince, Discourses on Livy, and Florentine Histories.
“McCormick’s books Machiavellian Democracy (2011) and The People’s Princes: Machiavelli, Leadership, and Liberty (2024) reinterpret Machiavelli as an advocate for “popular republicanism” rather than ruthless rulers. This perspective offers a new way to consider post-Trump U.S. governance amid declining trust and increasing polarization.” ~ review by Bill Brantley in PA Times
“Is Machiavelli a radical democrat? The simple truth, in my view, is that Machiavelli believes states are engaged in a ruthless and endless struggle, each against all the others. The states that are most effective in this struggle are neither tyrannies nor democracies, but those that are driven to external expansion by the internal conflict between elites and the populace.” ~ a more negative review by David Wootton in Engelsberg Ideas
The Author
John P. McCormick is a political scientist and professor at the University of Chicago. His research focuses on political theory, and Machiavelli in particular.
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.
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