Machiavelli advocated for tyrants like Cesare Borgia to take control of Italy because:
A)he believed dictatorships were the only legitimate form of government.
B)his patron was such a tyrant.
C)he believed most Italian people were too poorly educated to participate in government and so a true republic was impossible.
D)he believed that sixteenth-century Italy was so chaotic that it needed strong dictators to lead it into a more settled state favorable to self-governance.
E)the Roman Republican model that informed his political theory had been ruled by a series of dictators.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Machiavelli believed that the chaotic state of sixteenth-century Italy required a strong and decisive leader to bring order and stability. He saw men like Cesare Borgia as potential agents of change who could establish the necessary conditions for self-governance in the future. He did not necessarily advocate for dictatorships as the only legitimate form of government, nor did he believe that most Italians were too poorly educated to participate in government. His political theory drew from classical Roman Republican models, but he recognized the historical context in which he was writing and adapted his ideas accordingly.

Machiavelli Advocated for Tyrants Like Cesare Borgia to Take Control