Fortune and Machiavelli

Fortune in the Prince

During the Medieval and Renaissance periods political theorists often wrote books which were intended to be used as instructions for the rulers of the time. This was referred to as the "mirror of princes" technique, and the most famous of these instructional manuals was written by Niccolo Machiavelli and called The Prince. Although some versions of this book were around as early as 1513, the official printed version of his book actually was published in 1532, some time after the author's death. In his book The Prince, Macchiavelli discussed everything a ruler should know from how to gain and keep power to the qualities which make for a good prince. The author even discussed the concept of fortune, or luck, and how it should be dealt with by a prince. Fortune, according to Macchiavelli, was a real force of nature which a prince...
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