The Prince

A New Perspective on Machiavelli’s Practical Ideas and Fuller Dimensions

Since its posthumous publication in 1532, Machiavelli’s treatise on claiming and holding power has been synonymous with deception, ruthlessness, and even brutality. History generally regards the author of The Prince as a one-note schemer and callous plotter. Some contemporary critics even call him a satirist.

In this newly introduced and annotated edition of Machiavelli’s most enduring work, scholar of esotericism Mitch Horowitz elucidates the greater spectrum of the pragmatic philosopher’s ideas to reveal a figure concerned not just with amoral cunning but possessed of standards and ideals rarely appreciated in modern assessments.

“A fresh look,” Mitch writes in his introduction, “often reveals the unexpected. Machiavelli imbued The Prince with a greater sense of purpose and ethics than is commonly understood…I believe that some who encounter The Prince today will recognize subtleties missing from the value-free rationalism prominent in some precincts of our culture.”

Mitch’s new assessment and chapter notes highlight practical lessons that give The Prince its immortality. Not all of Machiavelli’s advice remains pertinent or possible in today’s world; nor would most readers wish to act on all of it. But, as Mitch explores, the political philosopher’s overarching principles warrant careful scrutiny and evaluation.

This unabridged edition of The Prince is drawn from N.H. Thomson’s 1910 translation, published as volume 36 of The Harvard Classics. Antiquated spellings and grammar are updated. Appendices reproduce aphorisms from both The Prince and Machiavelli’s seminally important Discourses on Livy (1531). Pull quotes emphasize key points and Mitch summarizes takeaways following each chapter.

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) was born in Florence. He served the Florentine republic as a secretary and second chancellor, but was expelled from public life when the Medici family returned to power in 1512.His most famous work, The Prince, was written in an attempt to gain favour with the Medicis and return to politics

A widely known voice of esoteric ideas, Mitch Horowitz is a writer-in-residence at the New York Public Library, lecturer-in-residence at the University of Philosophical Research in Los Angeles, and the PEN Award-winning author of books including Occult America; One Simple Idea: How Positive Thinking Reshaped Modern Life; and The Miracle Club: How Thoughts Become Reality. Mitch introduces and edits G&D Media’s line of Condensed Classics and is the author of the Napoleon Hill Success Course series, including The Miracle of a Definite Chief Aim, The Power of the Master Mind, and Secrets of Self-Mastery. Visit him at MitchHorowitz.com. Mitch resides in New York.