Abstract · «… that collectivity, the people, the soldiers or the great». The «arms» between public and private space in Machiavelli’s The Prince, Discourses on Livy, and The Art of War. In The Prince, the Discourses on Livy and The Art of War, the relationship between the ‘humours’ that form the body politic and the power of the state is discussed. In this regard, Machiavelli observes that (in the case of a principality), the state must win the favour of the people and limit the power of the great. However, the case illustrated in chapter xix of The Prince introduces an anomaly, because in the Roman Empire soldiers had acquired the role of a third ‘humour’ (collectivity, università), thus also becoming part of the public/political space. And because they were the ‘most powerful’ among the collectivities, the emperors were forced to satisfy their desires, which led to the progressive destruction of the state. The analysis of this anomaly leads Machiavelli to consider the conditions that, in the modern world, make freedom possible, not in its ‘absolute’ form (which is only possible as a residue or an exception), but as a variable mixture of obedience, security/protection and ‘political way of life’. The main concern of political power, he says, is to prevent the army from becoming a ‘humour’, i.e. a public figure.

«... Quella università, o populo o soldati o grandi». Le «armi» tra pubblico e privato nel Principe, nei Discorsi e nell’Arte della guerra di Machiavelli

Fabio Frosini
2021

Abstract

Abstract · «… that collectivity, the people, the soldiers or the great». The «arms» between public and private space in Machiavelli’s The Prince, Discourses on Livy, and The Art of War. In The Prince, the Discourses on Livy and The Art of War, the relationship between the ‘humours’ that form the body politic and the power of the state is discussed. In this regard, Machiavelli observes that (in the case of a principality), the state must win the favour of the people and limit the power of the great. However, the case illustrated in chapter xix of The Prince introduces an anomaly, because in the Roman Empire soldiers had acquired the role of a third ‘humour’ (collectivity, università), thus also becoming part of the public/political space. And because they were the ‘most powerful’ among the collectivities, the emperors were forced to satisfy their desires, which led to the progressive destruction of the state. The analysis of this anomaly leads Machiavelli to consider the conditions that, in the modern world, make freedom possible, not in its ‘absolute’ form (which is only possible as a residue or an exception), but as a variable mixture of obedience, security/protection and ‘political way of life’. The main concern of political power, he says, is to prevent the army from becoming a ‘humour’, i.e. a public figure.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11576/2695374
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