The Prince is a political treatise by the Florentine philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, written c. 1513. The Prince is sometimes claimed to be one of the first works of modern political philosophy, in which the effective truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. It was also in direct conflict with the dominant Catholic and scholastic doctrines of the time concerning how to consider politics and ethics. Machiavelli dedicated The Prince to the ruling Medici of the time, leading some today to still speculate whether the book was a satire. Niccolò Machiavelli asserted that The Prince (president, dictator, prime minister, etc.) does not have to be concerned with ethics, as long as their motivation is to protect the state. It is this questionable belief that in many ways had lead to the modern world as we know it. His assertion was that the head of state must protect the state no matter the cost and no matter what rules he or she breaks in the process._x000D_

Niccolò Machiavelli (May 3, 1469 – June 21, 1527) was an Italian diplomat, philosopher, musician, poet, and playwright, but is foremost recognized as the father of modern political science, and more specifically, political ethics. He was a senior official in the Florentine Republic who, after being outcast from the political world, dedicated himself to writing. Machiavelli's landmark political treatise, 'The Prince' ('Il Principe'), was written in 1513 and published posthumously in 1532. Influenced by his observations of the shifting power structures during the Italian Renaissance, and drawing from his own diplomatic experience, the book diverged from the traditional thinking of what constituted a good ruler. Instead, it proposed a pragmatic philosophy by which a leader, deemed to be a prince, could maintain control over his principality, using manipulation, fear, and expediency. This unorthodox and candid approach to governance introduced the term 'Machiavellian' to the lexicon, signifying political conduct characterized by cunning or deceit. His contributions went beyond 'The Prince'; other seminal works include 'Discourses on Livy', where he explores the structure of self-governing republics. His literary style, noted for simplicity and directness, has marked countless subsequent political theorists and leaders. Despite the controversy his works engendered for their apparent cold realism, Machiavelli's influence throughout history cannot be overstated, shaping the nature of statecraft as well as the broader discourse on ethical leadership.