Suri, Jeremi

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A Historian Reads Machiavelli - Not Even Pasthttps://notevenpast.org/historian-reads-machiavelli/[6/8/2020 2:00:18 PM]"The past is never dead. It's not even past." William FaulknerNOT EVEN PAST     THE PUBLIC HISTORIANMore from The Public HistorianBOOKSMore BooksDIGITAL HISTORYA Historian Reads Machiavelliby Jeremi Suri“I judge that it might be true that fortune is arbiter ofhalf of our actions, but also that she leaves the otherhalf, or close to it, for us to govern. And I liken her toone of these violent rivers which, when they becomeenraged, flood the plains, ruin the trees and thebuildings, lift earth from this part, drop in another;each person flees before them, everyone yields totheir impetus without being able to hinder them in anyregard. And although they are like this, it is not as ifmen, when times are quiet, could not provide themwith dikes and dams so that when they rise later,either they go by a canal or their impetus is neither sowanton nor so damaging.”Machiavelli offers many kinds of advice to the modernprince: manipulate fear, spread benefits among thepopulation, seek broad counsel, and take strategicrisks. He envisions a strong and wise leader whoprotects the interests and freedoms of his people.Machiavelli also hopes that the modern prince willemploy ambitious, experienced, and intellectualadvisers, like himself.For historians and our students, there are also many valuable passages in Machiavelli. Among them,Machiavelli’s reflections on the struggle between fortune and will – what historians often call “structure”and “agency” – are particularly worthwhile. The Florentine thinker describes the historical tectonics thateven the most powerful figure cannot resist: shifts in military capabilities, economic advantages, and basichuman demography. These historical tectonics are not deterministic, but they are too powerful and toodependent on past actions for anyone to change them in the short term. The prince must understandcontext and adjust. This is basic historical humility. Like 0TweetMaking History: Houston’s “Spirit of theConfederacy”May 06, 2020America for Americans: A History ofXenophobia in the United States byErika Lee (2019)April 20, 2020Más de 72: Digital Archive ReviewBOOKS FILMS & MEDIA THE PUBLIC HISTORIAN BLOG TEXAS ABOUTSTUDENTSOUR/STORIES15 MINUTE HISTORYA Historian Reads Machiavelli - Not Even Pasthttps://notevenpast.org/historian-reads-machiavelli/[6/8/2020 2:00:18 PM]More from Digital HistoryFILMS & MEDIAMore from Films & MediaTEXAS1558 fresco depicting the 1529-30 Siege of Florence (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)Machiavelli combines this humility with a clever recovery for greatness in human agency. Amidst thehistorical tectonics of any time, there are spaces where choices can have a huge effect. Machiavelli’sFlorence could not turn back the rise of French military and economic power, but it could reorganize itselfand nurture qualities (“virtues”) to prepare for the actions of the powerful monarchy in the north.Leadership, for Machiavelli, came from studying the historical tectonics, anticipating what they wouldmean for the future, and identifying choices that could improve preparation. He knew that sixteenth-century Florence’s strategic options were limited, but he also saw ways that the leaders of the city-statecould maximize benefits and limit suffering with forward-looking decisions. To look forward, however,meant understanding how the future would likely emerge from the trajectory of change starting in the past.1532 Florentine edition of The Prince (Image courtesyof NPR/Donato Pineider)We study history, among other reasons, because it helps us as citizens to understand the forces thatMarch 16, 2020Ayka (Dir: Sergei Dvortsevoy, 2018)October 02, 2019A (Queer) Rebel Wife In TexasMarch 11, 2020A Historian Reads Machiavelli - Not Even Pasthttps://notevenpast.org/historian-reads-machiavelli/[6/8/2020 2:00:18 PM]More from Texas19th century 20th Century African American History american history Asia Asia & Middle East book review Brazil British Empire China Civil War Cold War Colonialism communism cultural history digital history Early Modern Europe Europe film gender history History of Science immigration India Islam Latin America Latin American History Mexico Not Even Past Public History race religion Russia slavery Texas Texas History Texas History Day Transnational Twentieth Century History United States US History USSR Womens History world history World War IINOT EVEN PAST is produced byThe Department of HistoryTHE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN We are supported by the College of Liberal ArtsAnd our READERSDONATECONTACTAll content © 2010-present NOT EVEN PAST and the authors,unless otherwise notedSign up to receive bi-weekly email updatesshape our lives and identify how we can make a difference. Every successful person that I have met, inany field of endeavor, has reflected on what Machiavelli called the fundamental struggle between fortuneand will. It is unresolvable. It is not susceptible to mathematical formulas, simple principles, or glibmodels. It is a timeless struggle, but it is different with every person and in every moment. We studyhistory so we can decide for ourselves how we see our place and purpose in a historical continuum thatrushes before our eyes, where we are hoping, at best, to catch a good wave.Images used under Fair Use Guidelines**You may also like:Alison Frazier evaluating some “Lightly Fictionalized” books about the Italian RenaissanceAnd Ben Breen revealing the importance of clothing the Renaissance era Posted October 21, 2013More 1400s to 1700s, Blog, Discover, Europe, Ideas/Intellectual History, PoliticsBOOKS FILMS & MEDIA THE PUBLIC HISTORIAN BLOG TEXAS

A Historian Reads Machiavelli

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A Historian Reads Machiavelli

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