Machiavelli and the Problems of Military Force

A War of One’s Own

Sean Erwin

$180

Hardback

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English

Bloomsbury Academic
14 July 2022

Western philosophy: Medieval & Renaissance, c 500 to c 1600; Social & political philosophy

Central to Niccolò Machiavelli’s writing is the argument that a successful state is one that prefers to lose with its own arms (arma propriis) than to win with the arms of others (arma alienis). This book sheds light on Machiavelli’s critiques of military force and provides an important reinterpretation of his military theory.

Sean Erwin argues that the distinction between arma propriis and arma alienis poses a central problem to Machiavelli’s case for why modern political institutions offer modes of political existence that ancient ones did not. Starting from the influence of Lucretius and Aelianus Tacticus on the Dell'arte della guerra, Erwin examines Machiavelli’s criticism of mercenary, auxiliary, and mixed forces.

Giving due consideration to an overlooked conceptual distinction in Machiavelli studies, this book is a valuable and original contribution to the field.

By: Sean Erwin
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781350115712
ISBN 10: 1350115711
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 14 July 2022
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction: The Problem of Hiero II 1. Atomic War – The Influence of Lucretius on Machiavelli’s Art of War 2. Practical Proportions: Aelianus Tacticus in Machiavelli’s Art of War 3. Industries of Failure? Mercenaries and the Arms of Others 4. Instrumental and Aleatory Aspects of Auxiliary Force in Machiavelli 5. Transforming Compounds: Machiavelli’s Analyses of Mixed Force Conclusion: Captains of Critique Bibliography Index

Sean Erwin is Professor of Philosophy at Barry University, USA. He currently serves as the Vice President for the Society of Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy and as the Co-founder and Co-chair of the International Machiavelli Society.

Reviews for Machiavelli and the Problems of Military Force: A War of One’s Own

This book is a philosophically sophisticated and historically sensitive study that sheds important new light on the significance of Machiavelli's writings on the question of military force. It should be essential reading for all scholars who work within the field of Machiavelli studies. * Christopher Holman, Associate Professor of Political Theory, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore * When erudition meets creativity and conceptual rigor encounters historical research, there you have a book like Sean Erwin's: a brilliant reinterpretation of Machiavelli's military theory that finally reveals his (unjustly underrated) Art of War as a philosophical work of considerable weight. A welcome novelty in the crowded field of Machiavelli studies. * Gabriele Pedulla, Professor of Contemporary Literature, University of Rome III, Italy *