Machiavelli's Reason of State-Republicanism

Abstract

In the article the author is trying to establish the connection between Machiavelli's theory of the Reason of state (ragione di stato, commonly associated with his Prince) and his republican theory (basically developed in his Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius). Machiavelli's scattered analyses of various cases permit the conclusion that republican leaders are not less attracted to the arcana imperii than the kings and tyrants. As a matter of fact, Machiavelli dealt with the instructions of the Reason of state as some kind of scientific insights in the dynamic of universal natural force and its regularities. Therefore Machiavelli's teaching of the Reason of state applied both on monarchies and republics; furthermore, he expected its most important impact on thoroughly degenerated republics (such as those in contemporary Italy) in which capable leader pursues the program of its regeneration.