Tag Archives: Niccolo Machiavelli

That Bacon has an affinity with Machiavelli I do not dispute. I do think, however, that this affinity needs to be re-examined starting from a consideration of how Bacon actually cited Machiavelli, presented him to the reader, and commented on him. I believe that the evidence will indicate shortcomings in the arguments of those who, instead of interpreting Bacon’s reading of Machiavelli as a qualified reading, ‘find him sliding deeper and deeper into positions of moral compromise and Machiavellian quicksands’. Continue reading →