is a concept theorized by

Niccolò Machiavelli Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527) was a Florentine diplomat, author, philosopher, and historian who lived during the Italian Renaissance. He is best known for his political treatise '' The Prince'' (), writte ...

, centered on the martial spirit and ability of a person, but also encompassing a broader collection of traits necessary for maintenance of the

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

and "the achievement of great things." In a secondary development, the same word came to mean an object of art.

Classical and medieval origins

, an Italian word meaning "virtue" or "power", is derived from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

(lit. "manliness" but for a sense of 'man' closer to 'gentleman' than 'masculine' or 'male'). It describes the qualities desirable for a man, as opposed to (vice). In the Italian language, the term is historically related to the Greek concept of , the Latin , and medieval Catholic virtues, e.g. the seven virtues. Thus, Machiavelli's use of the term is linked to the concept of

virtue ethics Virtue ethics (also aretaic ethics, from Greek []) is a philosophical approach that treats virtue and moral character, character as the primary subjects of ethics, in contrast to other ethical systems that put consequences of voluntary acts, pri ...

Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...

had early raised the question "whether we ought to regard the virtue of a good man and that of a sound citizen as the same virtue";

Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas ( ; ; – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar and Catholic priest, priest, the foremost Scholasticism, Scholastic thinker, as well as one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the W ...

stressed that sometimes "someone is a ''good citizen'' who has not the quality... fa ''good man''". Machiavelli suggests a different set of virtues than

and

, apparently with less focus on beneficence and concord, and with more focus on

courage Courage (also called bravery, valour ( British and Commonwealth English), or valor (American English)) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in ...

. According to Machiavelli, includes pride, bravery, skill, forcefulness, and an ability to harness ruthlessness when necessary.

Florentines

Florentine republicans at the turn of like

Francesco Guicciardini Francesco Guicciardini (; 6 March 1483 – 22 May 1540) was an Italian historian and politician, statesman. A friend and critic of Niccolò Machiavelli, he is considered one of the major political writers of the Italian Renaissance. In his maste ...

rediscovered the classical concept of the virtue of the active citizen, and looked to it for an answer to the problems of preserving their city-state's independence. Machiavelli extended the study of classical virtue to include skill, valor, and leadership, and to encompass the individual prince or war-leader as well. , for Machiavelli, was not equivalent to

moral A moral (from Latin ''morālis'') is a message that is conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader, or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim. ...

virtue A virtue () is a trait of excellence, including traits that may be morality, moral, social, or intellectual. The cultivation and refinement of virtue is held to be the "good of humanity" and thus is Value (ethics), valued as an Telos, end purpos ...

, but was instead linked to the ability for a prince to win and maitain his state, even at the expense of ethical conduct.

Influence

Both the positive Machiavellian idealisation of the virtues of ancient Roman republicanism, and the negative image of as passed into the wider European consciousness over the centuries that followed.

Artistic value

A secondary English meaning developed in the 18th century: a curio or art-object – something of value in itself. Thus,

Horace Walpole Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford (; 24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English Whig politician, writer, historian and antiquarian. He had Strawberry Hill House built in Twickenham, southwest London ...

could refer to "my books, my virtus and my other follies". Following the establishment of the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

in 1768, one contemporary considered that "the taste for virtu has become universal; persons of all ranks and degrees set up for connoisseurs".''Fugitive Miscellanies'' (1773), quoted in

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Virtu Machiavellianism Niccolò Machiavelli Virtue Concepts in political philosophy

Classical and medieval origins

Florentines

Influence

Artistic value

See also

References