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How Machiavelli invented political science by observing beloved tyrant Borgia – Ada Palmer - YouTube

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Historian Ada Palmer explains the chaotic political landscape of Renaissance Italy, where constant regime changes and a power-hungry papacy created immense instability. By analyzing Niccolò Machiavelli’s diplomatic experiences with figures like Cesare Borgia, they explore how small states navigated these volatile power struggles to ensure their survival. Follow along using the transcript. Historian Ada Palmer explains the chaotic political landscape of Renaissance Italy, where constant regime changes and a power-hungry papacy created immense instability. By analyzing Niccolò Machiavelli’s diplomatic experiences with figures like Cesare Borgia, they explore how small states navigated these volatile power struggles to ensure their survival. Follow along using the transcript.

Had Ada Palmer back on – this time to talk about Machiavelli, perhaps the most misunderstood thinker of all time. Machiavelli cut his teeth as a high-level diplomat for Florence, a position from which he got to closely observe the most important rulers in Europe at the time, including the ones who were on the path to destroying his dearly beloved Florence. In 1513 the Medici retook control of Florence and, wrongly suspecting Machiavelli of participating in a coup attempt, fired, tortured, and exiled him. Machiavelli could have fled his exile and worked for any number of different…

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