A Study On Machiavelli's The Reason Of State

Machiavelli's political ideology has always been the focus of many scholars.This article focuses on the theme of Machiavelli and the "the reason of state." In the middle and late 16th century,the concept of the reason of state began to be gradually accepted and concerned.The reason of state in early stage was a kind of rationality derived from public reason.It was intended to illustrate the political practice that differed from"political reason" or even political rationality in actual politics.Academic circles generally agree that Machiavelli is the first person to expound the reason of state in essence.Machiavelli's influence on the tradition of national rationality is fundamental,and his thought is the prototype of the later development of the reason of state.In view of this,this paper studies Machiavelli's the reason of state.This paper takes the literature research method as the main research method,with Machiavelli's works as the main analysis object,attempt to comprehensively sort out and analyze Machiavelli's the reason of state.This paper argues that Machiavelli's national concept still does not have the full meaning of the modern state concept,but it is the concept of the country after Machiavelli that is inseparable from the words territorial and power.And "state" gradually replaced "republic"to become the object of invertigation of the political community.Machiavelli broke the national concept of morality and ethics at the core of ancient society.He provided a new rational foothold for the construction of the country from a realistic perspective.Machiavelli's the reason of state is a kind of rationality that different regimes need to practice.It takes safeguarding the interests of the community as its core.Through the discussion on the power and means in the national rationality of Machiavelli,we know that Machiavelli regards religion and morality as a means to achieve the national goal.The purpose of the state is given priority.Machiavelli defended the reason of state with the necessity "necessita" through an investigation of the struggle between fortuna and "virtu".On the other hand,from the perspective of dialectical unity of purpose and means,he holds that when "evil" means are based on the purpose of community interests,they should be lenient.The legitimacy and self-evity of this means are conferred by the value of the Republic itself.A powerful free republic is Machiavelli's supreme picture of the future of Italy.From the point of view of the development of the reason of state,Machiavelli's the reason of state embodies one aspect of the "power" of the reason of state in the process of development,and its appearance provides a brand-new way of thinking for the construction of modern national state.