Books mentioned in “Machiavelli is the most misunderstood thinker of all time – Ada Palmer”
The Prince
Dwarkesh opens by noting Machiavelli wrote and dedicated The Prince to Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici in 1513.
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Discourses on Livy
Referenced as 'The Discourses' regarding Machiavelli's justification of checks and balances, later named in full.
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The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Cited as saying there was never a better time for humanity than the era of the five good emperors.
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The Divine Comedy (Inferno / Paradiso)
Discussed for placing Emperor Trajan in Paradiso, and later for damning Florentines and lovers Paolo and Francesca in Inferno.
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Mentioned among Machiavelli's publicly circulated works, unlike the secretive Prince.
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On the Nature of Things (De rerum natura)
Used as an analogy for a text that drifted in obscurity before suddenly becoming relevant centuries later.
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Leviathan
Its publication is credited with reviving interest in Machiavelli as scholars sought to refute Hobbes.
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Common Sense
Cited to illustrate a utilitarian, separation-of-church-and-state view of religion's civic usefulness.
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Oration on the Dignity of Man
Named as one of the few Renaissance works later historians treated as genuinely original.
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How to Win Friends and Influence People
Used as a contrast: The Prince shouldn't be shelved next to it since it's about keeping power, not self-advancement.
Get it on Amazon →Possible passing references
- Untitled book on Annius of Viterbo — Anthony (Tony) Grafton