This one goes a bit farther back than the last few. All of the texts previously reviewed are 19th century at the latest, while this one makes itself at home more than 300 years earlier. I take note of this because this is one of many ways that this text is different from the last. The debates on morality, for example, all directed their focus on a general population, while in some cases pausing to take shots at a religious group or two. Here the public doesn't even seem to be an afterthought. I'm aware that it was the Renaissance, but Machiavelli uses quite a range of vocabulary to get his points across, and, quite frankly, the average citizen probably doesn't care about being a prince.
On the topic of morality, previous texts slaved over how and why people act virtuous. Machiavelli, in simple terms, thinks that those are nice to have, but it would be even nicer to just treat everyone poorly while looking like you're being good, since generosity can lead to a downfall. It's almost funny how much of a focus was placed on religion and morality by some of these writers, but when you're a prince, Machiavelli thinks it would be better to play pretend. And if the people at the top of the pyramid are just pretending to be moral and religious, what does that mean for those on the bottom?
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