L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano lianism that started with the Por- tuguese bishop Girolamo Osorio, the English Cardinal Reginald Pole and Italian Dominican the- ologian Ambrogio Politi. They opposed the political theories of Machiavelli and considered him a genuine pagan, an atheist and a preceptor of violence and impi- ety. In 1559, his books were listed in Index librorum prohibitorum ("List of Prohibited Books"), a series of publications deemed heretical or contrary to morality by the Roman Curia, and Catholics were forbidden from reading them without permission. So the negative connotations entered in the language in use, both in Italian and English. Still today, Machiavellianism is a noun that defines "the view that politics is amoral and that any means however unscrupulous can justifiably be used in achieving political power", says the Merri- am Webster dictionary. As well, the adjective Machi- avellian translates as "marked by cunning, duplicity, or bad faith. An example of its use could be: "He relied on Machiavellian tac- tics to get elected". But was Machiavelli really so immoral and unethical? Whatever the languages in use may say, if my memory serves me well, what was taught in my Italian literature classes was a lit- tle bit different. The narrative about Machiavelli is much more complex. I believe there are many aspects of his thought that merit praise. It is true that the founding master of modern political strate- gy justified use of all means (Il fine giustifica i mezzi or "the end justifies the means") including war, diplomacy and deceit. But the prince theorized by Machi- avelli never uses evil or violence for private profit nor in his thirst for power. The one who governs only for his own advantage is not a prince but a tyrant. This concept is very clear in Machiavelli's political thought. The exclusive interest of the state is the priority. I don't believe Machiavelli was a teacher of evil. To him human beings are not inherently evil. Man sometimes defends himself against the violence of others. Sometimes, the necessity of evil derives from the situation of men in history. Machiavelli affirmed his faith in human virtue. And the Machi- avelli virtue (virtù) is intellectual acuteness, ability, energy and vigor, resolute action and courage: those are essential quali- ties of a politician aimed at build- ing and maintaining the state. Virtù is the most important characteristic of the prince who needs to be a prudent leader as well. He has to be capable of judging the rightness of a given action from among possible alter- natives on the basis of its likely political consequences. A prince must have weapons for self-defense, an element with- out which the power of a state cannot exist. "I must love peace but know how to make war," he wrote in the Art of War. Recently, I was glad to read a story in the Washington Post in favor of him: "Machiavelli imbued The Prince with a greater sense of purpose and ethics than is com- monly understood -- and his book warrants rediscovery". According to Luigi Russo, a Machiavelli scholar of my school years, "he was an artist-hero of his own science -- pure politics". He had "the enchantment and dis- interest of experience, and the pathos and rectilinear logic typi- cal of a hero". Not only was his political thought beneficial to the Floren- tine Republic but also to the states of all times. And I believe his work remains a valuable explanation of Italy to Americans and of Italians to themselves. Continued from page 12 A beautiful view of Florence, the city where Machiavelli thrived Just like Leonardo da Vinci, Machiavelli is considered a "universal man." LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE

• Cover