GUIDE TO THE PHILOSOPHY 1938 - 1947.pdf - Rare Books at ...

134 ETHICS AND POLITICS: THE GREEKS
between warring States, just as his notion of a single
absolute ruler blessed by God is conceived by him as the
only way of overcoming the perpetual strife of waning
factions within the State*
Lack of Political Theory in the Middle Ages.
Dante's visions of an ideal World State and an ideal
World Ruler in no sense constitute a political theory.
Indeed, it cannot be said that the Middle Ages produced
any coherent body of thought worthy to be dignified by
that title. Apart from the controversy which continued
for over a hundred years over the delimitation of the
spheres of the spiritual and temporal powers, a controversy
which sprang inevitably from the universal acceptance of
the conception of man's dual nature, the Middle Ages
have little to show in the way of political wisdom save
rules for the government of men and instructions for the
expedient conduct of affairs of State.
Machiavelli (1469-1527). How far removed are these
rules from any theory of the nature of the State, its
origin, purpose and underlying principles, can be seen
from a glance at the political thought of Machiavelli.
Machiavelli's work on politics, Dt Principatibus, is thus
described by the author:
"I have made/ 9
he says, "a treatise, Dt Principatibus,
where I go to the depth ofmy ability into the consideration
of this matter, discussing what is the nature of sovereignty,
what kinds of it there are, how they are acquired, how
maintained, and for what causes lost." He describes his
treatise, that is to say, as an enquiry into natural history.
What, he wants to know, are the methods by which despotic
rulers, such as then abounded in Italy, may successfully
consolidate their power.
The description accurately fits the work. It is, in fact,
a handbook of statecraft, a guide for those who would
maintain and extend their power. Thus, if power has
been gained by certain means, it must, Machiavelli holds.