Machiavelli

*Il Principe* is a treatise on politics written by the Italian public servant and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli. Originally called *De Principatibus*, it was written in 1513, but not published until 1532, five years after Machiavelli's death. *Il Principe* was one of the first works of modern philosophy, in which pragmatic ends, as opposed to teleological concepts, are the purpose. The treatise is the most remembered of Machiavelli's works. It is also the one responsible for bringing the term "Machiavellian" into wide usage as a derogatory statement (meaning attempting to achieve one's goals by means of cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous methods).