Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes


You must know, then, that there are two methods of fighting, the one by law, the other by force: the first method is that of men, the second of beasts; but as the first method is often insufficient, one must have recourse to the second.


Citations

Machiavelli, Niccolò. The Prince. Translated by Harvey C. Mansfield, 2nd ed., University of Chicago Press, 1998, p. 69.

Related Quotes

While this was a common attitude for years before, the horrors of World War II produced a general revulsion to war and an awareness that war between two nations spills over to other states in the region and in an era of globalization, effects countries in other parts of the world. So there has been a tendency to use diplomacy endlessly, even after "things have gone too far". Historically, when things reached that point, the parties did fight it out, and when one was weakened sufficiently, negotiations and diplomacy could then be fruitful.


Niccolo Machiavelli
Niccolo Machiavelli
  • Born: May 3, 1469
  • Died: June 21, 1527
  • Nationality: Italian
  • Profession: Writer

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian Renaissance diplomat, philosopher and writer, best known for The Prince (Il Principe), written in 1513. He has often been called the father of modern political philosophy and political science.