Niccolò Machiavelli witnessed the
degeneration of the Republic of Florence into a de facto principality
dominated by the Medici family as well as the consolidation of foreign
domination over Italy. Both experiences radically affected his life and shaped
his political reflections. Even if he also wrote on the decline and fall of
kingdoms, principality and empires, for us today his considerations on the
corruption and death of republics are especially relevant. He invites us, in
the first place, to take at all times in consideration the international
context and be prepared to face the threats of war and the changes in the
balance of power. The second major danger to republican liberty is for him tyranny,
especially the veiled tyrannies that permit a man or a party to establish their
domination over the republic by means of a policy of favors designed to build a
network of private loyalties. The third form of deterioration of civil life
that Machiavelli identifies is what he calls “license”, or “licentious state”,
a dreadful moral and social condition where citizens have no respect for the
laws and for the common good.
When widespread license pervades the social body, Machiavelli warns us, no one is safe and only the domineering and astute individuals obtain public honors while good and competent citizens are ridiculed and humiliated. The last evil that endangers republican liberty is poor leadership. His writings provide us with many examples of leaders of republics who failed to protect the liberty of their fatherland and the liberty of the citizens because they lacked political wisdom or courage, or because they were utterly corrupt. Whereas the degeneration and the death of republics is for Machiavelli an almost natural process, regeneration and rebirth is an almost impossible task that only honest, wise and good citizens can accomplish, if God or Fortune are willing to help them. How to educate great political leaders was the chief purpose of his writings. To them we should turn, if we want to enhance our political wisdom.
When widespread license pervades the social body, Machiavelli warns us, no one is safe and only the domineering and astute individuals obtain public honors while good and competent citizens are ridiculed and humiliated. The last evil that endangers republican liberty is poor leadership. His writings provide us with many examples of leaders of republics who failed to protect the liberty of their fatherland and the liberty of the citizens because they lacked political wisdom or courage, or because they were utterly corrupt. Whereas the degeneration and the death of republics is for Machiavelli an almost natural process, regeneration and rebirth is an almost impossible task that only honest, wise and good citizens can accomplish, if God or Fortune are willing to help them. How to educate great political leaders was the chief purpose of his writings. To them we should turn, if we want to enhance our political wisdom.
Program
2.00 pm Welcome – Mattias
Hessérus, Dr., Project Leader, Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation
Introduction – Ulf
Wickbom, Moderator
Of Tyranny and License
2.05 pm Maurizio Viroli Machiavelli’s
Theory of the Degeneration and Redemption of Republics
2.20 pm James Hankins Living
with Tyranny: The Renaissance Humanists on Tyranny
2.35 pm Erica Benner Three
Causes of Corruption in Republics
2.50 pm Discussion
3.10 pm TEA AND COFFEE
On Moral and Political
Corruption
3.40 pm Hilary Gatti When
the People Choose: Anticipations of Electoral Errors in Machiavelli and
Shakespeare
3.55 pm Raphael Ebgi On
Political and Religious Corruption in Machiavelli
4.10 pm Christopher Coker
A
Philosophy of Decline? Spengler, Pseudo-morphosis and the Moral Corruption of
Russia
4.25 pm Discussion
4.45 pm TEA AND COFFEE
Leadership Matters
5.15 pm Philip Bobbitt The
Unity of Machiavelli’s Thought
5.30 pm Richard Ned Lebow
Machiavelli:
A Political Psychologist
5.45 pm Harvey Mansfield Machiavelli’s
Remedy for Decline in la Verita Effettuale
6.00 pm Discussion
6.20
pm Seminar Ends
Nessun commento:
Posta un commento