The Machiavellian Ideal: Putting Liu Bei to the Test
by Jim R. McClanahan
What makes the perfect prince? Is it his bravery in battle or the sagely laws he passes, his great compassion or the punishment he metes out to the wicked? These qualities and more are discussed in Niccolo Machiavelli's sixteenth century book
The Prince (1532), a how-to manual for would-be rulers. This work was written during the Italian Renaissance. Could it be used to gauge the princely worth of...