Augustine & Machiavelli

Augustine & Machiavelli

Why does Machiavelli believe that it is necessary to sometimes act “against religion” (Machiavelli, p. 63). Would Augustine agree?

Not enough attention has been paid to the process through which religion and its presuppositions shaped Machiavell's thought and work.  Machiavelli's many references to God and to the various popes who attained power on a political stage can be connected to his personal religious views.  An examination of passages drawn from The Prince, The Discourses, Florentine Histories, The Mandrake Root and his letters to friends will shed a conclusive light on the development of Machiavelli's religious views.  The political natures of these works determine the level of Machiavelli's investigation into his religious and political values.  Politics determine his interest and insight into religion.

“The presuppositions of Machiavelli's approach to religion were decisively shaped by his secular profession as a diplomat and by his passion for understanding political reality. His profession as well as his intellectual assumptions, separated him from the medieval theological and ecclesiastical perspective on religion, (Marriott, 2008: 12-67).”

 Machiavelli's views of religion seem to be typical of Renaissance Florence, where intellectual thought and learning were related to professional needs and directed towards the satisfaction of the people.  Machiavelli's development of his political ideology can be closely related to his religious theories.

 

The Church and Machiavelli's Depiction of Italy's Historical Situation

 Machiavelli's references to the various popes confirm that the church had become a forceful power in Italy.  Christianity is the highest rank in authority to the Roman Empire and its employment of power took on a political role. In order to fully comprehend

Machiavelli's take on religion it is necessary to look at his criticism of Rome with respect to religion.

 “Machiavelli's ultimate judgment regarding the Church's temporal influence is particularly important in assessing his intentions because he dedicates his most famous work, The Prince, to Lorenzo de' Medici, nephew of the then reigning pope, Leo X. Florence's fortunes at this time were closely tied to Rome, (Abrams, 2011: 35-61).” 

Machiavelli's life and work coincide with Italy's turbulent political situation of the period.  Florence was one of the few cities that remained resistant to conquest, of which Machiavelli concentrates his writings. Thirty years of French invasion, by three kings, Charles VIII, Louis XII, and Francis I, ended with Italy's surrender. The Medici, who for almost a century ruled Florence were overthrown. The Medici family gained the respect of the populous that refused to recognize other ruling parties and drove them out of the city proclaiming a republic.  In 1512 the Medeciean dominance returned after the Florentine republic collapsed. The Christian orientated Medici, who had been expelled since 1492, returned to a Florence that was directed by Rome. The leading men of Florence were clerics and so religion mandated authority. Giovanni de' Medici, became Leo X and after Pope Leo's death Giulio de' Medici succeeded his cousin as head of the family and Church, becoming Pope Clement VII.  Machiavelli's dedication of The Prince to Lorenzo de' Medici seemed to reflect the attitude of Italy as a whole, his native city, and his own personal political and religious ...