The Many and the Few: Machiavelli and Guicciardini's Critique of Aristocratic Regimes

Author:   Mark Jurdjevic
Publisher:   University of Toronto Press
ISBN:  

9781487566869


Pages:   256
Publication Date:   20 January 2026
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   Not yet available, will be POD   Availability explained
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The Many and the Few: Machiavelli and Guicciardini's Critique of Aristocratic Regimes


Overview

The Many and the Few reconstructs a pattern of recurring populist themes in the writings of Francesco Guicciardini and Niccol Machiavelli. These two pioneering thinkers of the late Renaissance are almost always presented in terms of dramatic contrasts while Machiavelli's violent populism and scorn for aristocratic culture is well established, many consider Guicciardini the most influential Renaissance advocate of narrow, elitist regimes. In The Many and the Few, Mark Jurdjevic challenges these pre-existing beliefs and argues that Guicciardini was a vastly more complex thinker who subjected his own aristocratic ideals to devastating scrutiny. demonstrates that Guicciardini's contribution was a Trojan horse: it appeared to confirm this tradition even while affirming every aspect of Machiavelli's critique.

Full Product Details

Author:   Mark Jurdjevic
Publisher:   University of Toronto Press
Imprint:   University of Toronto Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.001kg
ISBN:  

9781487566869


ISBN 10:   1487566867
Pages:   256
Publication Date:   20 January 2026
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Not yet available, will be POD   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon it's release. This is a print on demand item which is still yet to be released.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Politics of the Few and the Many in the Political Thought of Machiavelli and Guicciardini 1. Machiavelli and Guicciardini: Background and Relationship 2. Populist Perspectives in Guicciardini’s On the Method of Electing Offices in the Great Council 3. Radical Virtù in The Prince and Ricordi 4. Deconstructing Regimes of the Few in Guicciardini’s Dialogue on the Government of Florence 5. Cognitive Dissonance in Guicciardini’s Considerations on the Discourses of Machiavelli 6. Machiavelli and Guicciardini on Cesare Borgia’s “Good Government”: Chapter 7 of The Prince Revisited Conclusion Works Cited

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Author Information

Mark Jurdjevic is professor of history at York University and studies early modern Europe.

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Latest Reading Guide

NOV RG 20252

 

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