Who was Niccolo Machiavelli? What were his main ideas as noted in The Prince? To what extent is his philosophy about human nature representative of Renaissance thought? More specifically: do you think the following quotation from Machiavelli expresses a view that was generally held during the Renaissance?

". . .for it may be said of men in general that they are ungrateful, voluable, dissemblers, anxious to avoid danger, and covetous of gain. . . ."

If so, why? If not, why not? If either, do you think his views about the nature of man might still be valid today? In answering this question, you will of course need to read both your textbook account of Machiavelli and his views, and the excerpts from his own little treatise called The Prince, as reproduced in your Roots sourcebook.

For some online help, you may want to visit these sites:

• Biographical information.
• Complete text of The Prince.
• Essays and other material on Machiavelli from the U of Pennsylvania.
• At Duke: an NEH seminar for HS teachers on "Humanists as Reformers."
• A HS senior's paper on Machiavelli in an American Government class.
• Machiavelli for modern managers and management students: humor.

Due date is 10 November.