Reviews

Der Fürst by Niccolò Machiavelli, Horst Günther

essi_hollister's review against another edition

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1.0

I read it for a class. It had some good quotes like “it’s better to be feared than loved but try to be both” and all that stuff but overall it was really confusing and just not the best book. I would not recommend it to anyone unless they were already a Machiavelli fan.

sowalsky's review against another edition

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5.0

Machiavelli was a real peach. He was Italy's Renaissance sweetheart and a right regular ray of sunshine. If only he had lived to see the age of terminal-stage capitalism, he would have pooped his goddamn pantaloons. This book is pornographically shameless and absolutely not to be missed!

oeystein's review against another edition

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4.0

Eg har jo skrive litt om 1500-talet, og mange påstår at kong Kristian 2. av Noreg (og Danmark) var inspirert av Machiavelli, eller iallfall tankegodset hans - sjølv om det ikkje finst prov for at han sjølv hadde lese denne boka.
Den openberre grunnen til å tru det, er det Machiavelli skriv om korleis ein behandlar eit nyerobra område: Om du skal skada nokon, så må du skada dei så grundig at dei aldri vil kunne hemna seg på det. Om du vil gjera ein urett, så bør du gjera alt det urette på ein gong, slik at det kan bli fortare gløymt. Dette passar jo bra med Stockholms blodbad, korleis Kristian 2. behandla Sverige.
Det som absolutt ikkje passar, er det Machiavelli skriv om leigesoldatar: Unngå dei som pesten, for du kan aldri stola på dei. Kristian 2. føretrekte leigesoldatar.

Uansett, det er vel eigentleg almenndanning å lesa Machiavelli. Han skriv veldig rett fram, dette er ei bok som har lyst til å formidla noko, som vil bli forstått. Ikkje høgtsvevande filosofi. For ein lesar av i dag hjelper det å ha grunnleggjande kjennskap til Italia på tidleg 1500-tal, for han hentar mange av døma sine frå notida si.
Grunnsynet på mennesket er negativt. Menneske er grunnleggjande vondt, og du kan eigentleg aldri stola på nokon. Derfor er det betre for ein herskar å vera frykta enn elska, for frykt er ei sterkare kjensle enn kjærleik. Men herskaren bør òg unngå å bli hata. Så det er då iallfall noko.

leswat's review against another edition

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5.0

The blueprint for political savvy -- and despotism.

cynaria's review against another edition

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challenging reflective slow-paced

3.5

joshbriggs's review against another edition

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4.0

I feel a little silly adding books like this to my "read" list, because I never would've read it, were it not for a philosophy class. It was just sitting there in my "recent updates" from one of my randoms (sorry Synchro23, not to belittle our relationship, but we've just never actually met or communicated). I'm giving it 4 stars because I don't remember it, but it's like, ya know, wicked famous and stuff. So I'm sure it was just fine. I read this DJ Jazzy Gendre's class. That dude was nuts. I think I will go ahead and recommend 2pac's hilarious alter ego "Makaveli" over this. I remember people saying that this alter ego was one of the many signs pointing towards 2pac faking his own death (something about Italian philosopher Machiavelli writing about faking one's own death to spite one's enemies, or some other retarded idea that I am fully ready to believe if someone can produce these writings, which seems like a ridiculous thing for a philosopher to write about in the first place - along with the fact that 2pac still supposedly has a $1 million life insurance policy that has never been cashed), The point is, now you have homework!! isn't that more interesting than "The Prince?" get crazy! find me evidence that 'Pac is still alive and well, and living in Glendale. I will gladly confront him.

vdai's review against another edition

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5.0

Diving into the mind and philosophy of Niccolo Machiavelli is always interesting, especially when you don't share the same views and beliefs.

sahcloudy's review against another edition

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This guy…

chandlerkircher's review against another edition

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4.0

“My view is that it is desirable to be both loved and feared; but it is difficult to achieve both and, if one of them has to be lacking, it is much safer to be feared than loved.”

theforestlibrarian's review against another edition

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5.0

Tolkien ja tämä, joka vuosi. Pysyy mieli virkeänä ja vinksahtaneena