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Full Idea
Machiavelli emancipated politics from religion.
Gist of Idea
Machiavelli emancipated politics from religion
Source
report of Niccolo Machiavelli (The Prince [1513]) by Peter Watson - Ideas Ch.24
Book Ref
Watson,Peter: 'Ideas: from fire to Freud' [Phoenix 2006], p.674
A Reaction
Interestingly, he seems to have done it by saying that ideals are irrelevant to politics, but gradually secular ideals crept back in (sometimes disastrously). A balance needs to be struck on idealism.
| 19813 | All legislators invoke God in support of extraordinary laws, because their justification is not obvious [Machiavelli] |
| 7126 | Rulers should preserve the foundations of religion, to ensure good behaviour and unity [Machiavelli] |
| 7486 | Machiavelli emancipated politics from religion [Machiavelli, by Watson] |
| 6309 | The principle foundations of all states are good laws and good armies [Machiavelli] |
| 7127 | If men are good you should keep promises, but they aren't, so you needn't [Machiavelli] |
| 6305 | To retain a conquered state, wipe out the ruling family, and preserve everything else [Machiavelli] |
| 6306 | People are vengeful, so be generous to them, or destroy them [Machiavelli] |
| 6307 | A desire to conquer, and men who do it, are always praised, or not blamed [Machiavelli] |
| 6308 | A sensible conqueror does all his harmful deeds immediately, because people soon forget [Machiavelli] |