Maurizio Viroli

Italian-American political philosopher at Princeton who is a leading interpreter of Machiavelli — and whose Machiavelli and the Republican Idea argues that Machiavelli is best understood as a civic republican rather than an amoralist — and who has written on republicanism and patriotism.

Provides the republican reading of Machiavelli — arguing that The Prince should be read against the background of the Discourses, which presents Machiavelli as a defender of popular liberty against tyranny — rescuing Machiavelli from the purely cynical reading.