And... did you just hold up Machiavelli as a positive example? Do you know who "The Prince" was modeled after? The Borgias were among the most ruthless, corrupt people who ever rose to power, in a time when western culture was at its most decadent and corrupt. There are things to be learned from reading Machiavelli, but it is hardly a guide for moral leadership.
Nick Your father might have been a philosophy professor, Nick, but you don't know much about Machiavelli. _Of course_ I hold him up as a positive example. I learned about Machiavelli from Harvey Mansfield himself. In his _Discourses on Livy_ Machiavelli invented the idea of the modern republic. In _The Prince_ he _actually_ created the ethical foundations of modern democracy, and made a coherent argument for a free and unified Italy. So yes, I'm pretty comfortable arguing that Machiavelli is someone that we can learn a lot from, particularly a lot about morality from. Gautam
