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| Is Machiavelli an Epicurean？ |
| Luo Xuanqing |
| (School of Philosophy， Renmin University of China， Beijing 100872) |
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Abstract Machiavelli pointed out in Discourses on the First Ten Books of Titus Livy that， as those who discovered new seas and new lands， he discovered new models and new systems of the political world. Different from the three contemporary mainstream understanding modes， the aspect of Machiavelli's political philosophy that transcended classical political philosophy could be analyzed by examining the relationship between Machiavelli and Epicureanism. On the one hand， Machiavelli based his thoughts on the natural philosophy of Epicureanism， and used atomism as a tool to construct his own political philosophy； on the other hand， unlike a meditator who was content to observe nature quietly， Machiavelli regarded the departure from political life and the peace of mind as an illusion. Thus， he deviated from the classical political philosophy， whose ultimate purpose was to contemplate life， affirmed the value of realistic political practice， and set up a precedent for modern politics.
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Received: 31 May 2023
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2023, Vol. 62 
