Machiavelli's Literary Message, Katherine Phillipakis Essay

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Cleandro has learned everything from Nicomaco, but is not grateful enough to share the prize with Nicomaco. (Phillipakis, 2011, p. 13). According to Phillipakis, "…they are competitors for a prize that cannot be shared. Fortune is a kingdom 'safeliest when with one man manned.'" (Phillipakis, 2011, p. 13)

Phillipakis concludes that Machiavelli "must remain the philosopher who generates thoughts but not deeds," simply "…because he cannot be anything more." (Phillipakis, 2011, p. 13).

Critique

Phillipakis appears to have something against philosophers and bookish men in general. Men who are thinkers, rather than doers. Or perhaps only against bookish men who presume to be manly men, such as Machiavelli.

Phillipakis' rage seems to stem from certain passages in Machiavelli's The Prince that could be perceived as misogynistic. She appears to dwell particularly on Machiavelli's comments about raping "Fortuna," the female characterization of fortune. Machiavelli is, of course, speaking metaphorically here. Though the language is undoubtedly disturbing, it is more likely that Machiavelli was having fun with the Greek characterization of fortune as feminine.

Another weak area of Phillipakis' article is the analysis. The analysis of Machiavelli is overly speculative. She performs a complete psychoanalysis of Machiavelli through a study of two of his lesser works.

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Furthermore, these works are from his plays, a genre which Machiavelli is not known for. His celebrated works, The Prince and the Republic, are all in the genre of philosophical treatise. Her analysis could have benefited by incorporating more examples from Machiavelli's philosophical treatises.

The greatest problem with Phillipakis' article, though, is that it does not have larger consequences for our reading of Machiavelli. Phillipakis is content to drag Machiavelli through the mud as an impotent philosopher who tried to live vicariously through more virile men. She did not explain the significance of this revelation to our interpretation of Machiavelli's more influential works, such as The Prince or The Republic. Even if we accept that Machiavelli is using philosophy to play out his own power fantasies. So what? What does that say about how we should interpret his works?

Conclusion

Ultimately, Phillipakis squanders what could have been a valuable addition to the study of Machiavelli, a highly controversial and highly influential thinker. She could have added a new dimension to our reading of political philosophy classics such as The Prince. Her article, instead, comes off as a vindictive, petty character assassination of a dead man who….....

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"Machiavelli's Literary Message Katherine Phillipakis" (2011, September 29) Retrieved May 20, 2025, from
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