8 The Prince
Niccolò Machiavelli, 1532On the list because: it was the inspiration for a long list of tyrannies (Stalin had it on his nightstand)The Prince is a treatise meant for rulers who had shed all scruples – to a point that they might see evil as potentially more beneficial to society than good. Machiavelli hoped to start a revolution in the hearts of his readers, and he certainly achieved that. He proudly stated things that others before him had only dared to whisper, and he whispered things that had not even been considered. According to Machiavelli “it is not necessary for a prince to have all the above-mentioned qualities [merciful, faithful, humane, honest, and religious], but it is indeed necessary to appear to have them. Nay, I dare say this, that by having them and always observing them, they are harmful; and by appearing to have them they are useful.†Some of the people inspired by this book are Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, and Napoleon I of France.
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