Why Good People Make Terrible Leaders | Machiavelli and The Prince

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There are few figures as controversial as Niccolo Machiavelli. He was famous for arguing that good people make weak and ineffective rulers. But his thought has also been caricatured and misunderstood by many - even those who read and enjoy his work. So today we will look at his entire philosophy, to see what he can teach us about power in both his time and ours.

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00:00:00 Machiavelli
00:03:32 Machiavelli: A Political Life
00:13:09 Human Nature: A Story in Two Parts
00:22:54 Virtuous Man, Incompetent Ruler
00:32:33 Appearance, Reality, and PR
00:43:49 Freedom, Security, and Stability
00:54:01 The Need to be Dangerous
01:04:50 Princes, Principles, and Duties
01:14:48 Machiavelli in the Modern Age