TY - JOUR
T1 - The path of the courtier
T2 - Castiglione, Machiavelli, and the loss of republican liberty
AU - Lovett, F.
PY - 2012/9
Y1 - 2012/9
N2 - Although Castiglione's The Courtier was one of the most popular products of the Italian Renaissance, it has largely escaped the attention of modern political theorists. Many dismiss The Courtier as an apolitical work characterized by nostalgia and escapism, but it should not be so dismissed: on the contrary, Castiglione's book expresses a definite political program. This essay explores that program as a politics of the second best?"as a pragmatic response to unfortunately diminished political opportunities. Put simply, given the choice between trying to make one's master a better person, on the one hand, and not having a master at all, on the other, surely one would not opt for the former unless the latter was not available. Reflection on this point informs the debate between proponents of negative liberty? and those of republican liberty.?
AB - Although Castiglione's The Courtier was one of the most popular products of the Italian Renaissance, it has largely escaped the attention of modern political theorists. Many dismiss The Courtier as an apolitical work characterized by nostalgia and escapism, but it should not be so dismissed: on the contrary, Castiglione's book expresses a definite political program. This essay explores that program as a politics of the second best?"as a pragmatic response to unfortunately diminished political opportunities. Put simply, given the choice between trying to make one's master a better person, on the one hand, and not having a master at all, on the other, surely one would not opt for the former unless the latter was not available. Reflection on this point informs the debate between proponents of negative liberty? and those of republican liberty.?
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84870199305&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S0034670512000769
DO - 10.1017/S0034670512000769
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84870199305
SN - 0034-6705
VL - 74
SP - 589
EP - 605
JO - Review of Politics
JF - Review of Politics
IS - 4
ER -