The Prince

• Author and Time: Written in 1513 by Italian diplomat and philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli during the Renaissance, though it was published posthumously in 1532.

• Purpose: It is an instructional guide for new rulers (“princes”) on how to acquire, maintain, and expand political power.

• Core Philosophy (Realpolitik): Machiavelli offers a brutally pragmatic, non-idealistic view of politics, focusing on what actually works rather than what is morally right. This approach is often called realpolitik.

• Key Advice: The most famous advice is that a ruler should aim to be both loved and feared, but if forced to choose, it is “much safer to be feared than loved.” The ends of preserving the state often justify the use of morally questionable means, such as cunning, deceit, and necessary cruelty.

It remains one of the most influential and controversial works of political philosophy ever written.