Machiavelli and Virtù in Act

Abstract

This article proposes to reflect on some aspects of Machiavelli's thought, in particular his positions in relation to the renowned virtù (as primordial facet of the ragion di Stato), understood from the categorical perspective of practical philosophy. For this, firstly, the opinions expressed by the Florentine on the Catholic Church, rejecting the idea of virtue as a universal and abstract value, will be seen. That will help to understand the process of flowering of the States as a consequence (or as a privileged face) of the first development of Western modernity. On the other hand, the analysis of a work poorly taken into account by most of Machiavelli's commentators, such as The Life of Castruccio Castracani (read in concomitance with The Prince and the Discourses), supports such an interpretation, in relation to the Machiavellian conception of virtù and the need to crystallize the state.

Keywords: Machiavelli. Virtù. Castruccio Castracani.