Un homme politique désœoeuvré: Machiavel, historien et penseur politique

Abstract

A philosopher who deeply influenced Western history, Machiavelli was, as well, involved in the affairs of his time. This paper aims to analyze the pragmatic context of Machiavelli’s production, for instance, his political exile from Florence. In order to draw the lines of this “praxis,” contemporary biographies, letters of Machiavelli and, of course, the books (The Prince, Discourses, History of Florence) are revisited and reread in each other’s light. This approach allows one to appreciate more the “revolutionary” and “anticlerical” dimensions of Machiavelli’s philosophy.