... because of the turmoil of the Italian city-states at the time. Spanish victory in 1512 provided for the return of the Medici's to Florence and the exile of the Republican government, including Machiavelli. It was then that Machiavelli turned to writing about political philosophy because he couldn't practice politics in real life anymore, and what emerged was one of the ... harsh in the name of self-preservation at times. This acknowledgement of the reality of the world is what sets The Prince apart from earlier works on politics such as Plato's The Republic. Rather than focusing on the ...

• Word Count: 2510
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate