Machiavelli saw history in general as a way to learn useful lessons from the past for the present, and also as a type of analysis which could be built upon, as

Original scholarly essays by leading philosophers, which bring to life Machiavelli’s lengthiest and most challenging work.

Reconstructs the origins of the idea that social conflict, and not concord, makes political communities powerful.

"This study, wrought by one of Machiavelli's interpreters, uncovers the hidden intricacies of the Discourses. It will inform and challenge its readers at every