Republican thought in Niccolò Machiavelli’s main political philosophy

Abstract

Republican thought is Niccolò Machiavelli’s main political philosophy. This thought not only exists in his most important work named “Discorsi sopra la prima Deca di Tito Livio” but was also hidden in his masterpiece named “Il Principe”. This paper explores Niccolò Machiavelli’s republican thought in both of his above-mentioned works, particularly in “Discorsi sopra la prima Deca di Tito Livio”. Through specific evidences, the paper points out that republican government is Machiavelli’s most favourite political model, and the principality in his“Il Principe” is just his tactic solution or just his means to reach his ends which are to establish a republic in Italia.