Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi

Öz

When it comes to politics, one of the first philosophers that comes to mind is undoubtedly Niccolò Machiavelli. A figure synonymous with the concept of politics, Machiavelli is also a philosopher whose name is mentioned in many areas of the social sciences, from philosophy to sociology, from political science to business, from international relations to history. It is thought that the primary reason why Machiavelli has become a universal, timeless, and universally referenced symbol beyond the academic world is his ability to deal with politics in the plainest way. Ironically, this straightforward approach of Machiavelli to politics, requiring no preconditions, has paved the way for hosting hundreds of different interpretations about him in almost 500 years. With Machiavelli's original approach, which equates politics with power, politics has been stripped of all its burdens and has become a self-justifying mechanism. Associating politics with power, Machiavelli's unique approach has transformed politics into a mechanism that legitimizes itself by shedding all its burdens. For a political approach that legitimizes itself, it is essential to give the necessary importance to power relations. As a Renaissance philosopher, Machiavelli's emphasis on the prince's power, resulting from the human-centered approach of Renaissance thought, has brought power relations to the forefront. Although this emphasis on power relations opens the door to views that Machiavelli is a pure destructive supporter of violence, Machiavelli's emphasis is on the public interest, and the people's cooperation is very important for the success of the prince in this context. In The Discourses, Machiavelli, who often defends republicanism in his political analysis, focused on establishing a completely absolute state in the body of the prince in The Prince, with the aim of achieving Italian political unity. With this goal in mind, Machiavelli, who isolates the prince and his power, developed a plain political approach and, with this original style, became a timeless and universal political theorist.