#182: “How Easily Men Are Corrupted”

“In connection with this matter of the Decemvirate,^[*] we should notice also how easily men are corrupted and become wicked, although originally good and well educated. This may be observed in those young nobles whom Appius had chosen for his followers, and who, for the small advantages they derived from it, became supporters of his tyranny; also in Quintus Fabius, one of the second Decemvirate, who, having been one of the best of men, but blinded by a little ambition and seduced by the villany of Appius, changed his good habits into the worst, and became like Appius himself. All this, if carefully studied by the legislators of republics and monarchies, will make them more prompt in restraining the passions of men, and depriving them of all hopes of being able to do wrong with impunity.”**

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*Decemvirate:  group of ten people, especially (politics) a council of ten men sharing office or power and particularly (historical) the groups of ten men who reformed and codified Roman  law c. 450 bc. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/decemvirate

**Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Complete Works of Niccolo Machiavelli: Thoughts of a Statesman, The Prince, The History of Florence, The Art of War, Diplomatic Missions, and Discources ... (6 Books With Active Table of Contents) (Kindle Locations 21662-21671). Kindle Edition.

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli ... 3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527) was an Italian diplomat, philosopher, politician, historian and writer who lived during the Renaissance. He is best known for The Prince (Il Principe), written about 1513.[5] He has often been called the father of modern political philosophy and political science.[6] For many years he served as a senior official in the Florentine Republic with responsibilities in diplomatic and military affairs. He wrote comedies, carnival songs, and poetry. His personal correspondence is of high importance to historians and scholars.[7] He worked as secretary to the Second Chancery of the Republic of Florence from 1498 to 1512, when the Medici were out of power. | From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_Machiavelli

For this blogger's view about ideas of expediency attributable to Machiavelli see: https://dejavu-times.blogspot.com/2014/02/niccolo-mockiavelli.html and consider his words as quoted in Voices: #099 ;and repeated here: Machiavelli: “I come now to the last branch of my charge: that I teach princes villainy, and how to enslave. If any man will read over my book … with impartiality and ordinary charity, he will easily perceive that it is not my intention to recommend that government or those men there described to the world, much less to teach men how to trample upon good men, and all that is sacred and venerable upon earth, laws, religion, honesty, and what not. If I have been a little too punctual in describing these monsters in all their lineaments and colours, I hope mankind will know them, the better to avoid them, my treatise being both a satire against them, and a true character of them …” , from a Letter to a Friend. From Burnham, James. The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom (p. 6). Lume Books. Kindle Edition