Niccolo Machiavelli

Niccolò Machiavelli was a Florentine diplomat, historian, and political philosopher whose name has become synonymous with the ruthless, amoral pursuit of political power. His short treatise The Prince, written as a practical guide for rulers, set aside traditional moral and religious constraints on political action and asked simply: what does a ruler need to do in order to gain and hold power? Machiavelli's unflinching realism — his willingness to argue that cruelty, deception, and violence are sometimes politically necessary — made the book immediately notorious.