Wisdom And Philosophy

Machiavelli: Political Thought in the Application of the State of Exception

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Mohsen Bagherzadeh meskibaf 1
mostafa abedi jighe 2

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Kurdistan

2 PhD in philosophy from Tabriz University

https://doi.org/10.22054/wph.2025.83738.2279
Abstract
Machiavelli thinks in a situation in Italy where an exceptional situation prevails and based on the solutions of traditional and classical political thought, politics cannot not only explain this situation but also create a theory to overcome it. This new situation, which demands understanding and forming a national state in its new dimensions, requires tools, theories and ends of its own kind that can be understood outside the gravity of the traditional system of thought. Therefore, the new unique situation requires exceptional political thought, the characteristics of which include the priority of the particular contrary to habit over the general, the priority of action over opinion, the priority of the political situation over virtues and morality, and finally the priority of Virtue over the goddess of fortune or the natural order of the Romans and Greeks, and the transformation of all the unattainable matters of traditional thought into an opportunity for the virtuous individual; in short, the connection of theory to practice for political efficiency. Therefore, Machiavelli's relationship with political issues is no longer within the framework of theory, but within the framework of the effectiveness of theory in its political application. In other words, politics for Machiavelli in its new dimensions precedes theoretical knowledge and even theoretical philosophy; In the current situation, politics calls for its own tools in its specific situation.

Keywords

exceptionalism
politics
virtu
luck as opportunity
national government
Subjects
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Wisdom And Philosophy
Volume 21, Issue 82
Spring 2025
Pages 39-66

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