Michel de Montaigne’s Response to Machiavelli’s Il Principe
Michel de Montaigne’s Response to Machiavelli’s Il Principe

Summary/Abstract: The new political vision advanced by Niccolò Machiavelli in Il Principe represented a radical shift in the early modern political discourse. Investigating such topics as the logic of power, the use of cruelty, the honestum/utile dichotomy and asserting the insufficiency of theological and moral imperatives to meet the rhetorical concerns of effective political action, Machiavelli provoked a disruption in the Renaissance understanding of politics, power and ethics. This essay considers Michel de Montaigne’s response to two important Machiavellian themes – the honourable/useful distinction and the prince’s use of cruelty – and argues that Montaigne adopts a different, at times ambiguous, stance towards these issues. On the one hand, Montaigne’s treatment of the use of deceit in political life seems to share Machiavelli’s views on the divorce of ethical principles from practical ones in the realm of politics, although he is quite adamant that there should be a difference between the conduct of those involved in public life and private persons; on the other hand, in the discussion on the (political) use of cruelty, he clearly adopts an anti-Machiavellian position, expressing his utter disapproval of all forms of cruelty.

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