Reconstructing the historical meaning of the terms nationalism and patriotism, Viroli shows how the two concepts have been used within specific cultural and ideological contexts. He reviews the political thought of modern and early modern Europe, with particular emphasis on France, Italy, England, and Germany, and comes up with a fundamental difference between patriotism and nationalism. Viroli argues that patriotism and nationalism are two ideologies that aim to reinforce and channel two different and powerful political passions: the love of a common good and the love of uniqueness and homogeneity. The Patriot is a supporter of the republic, his enemies are tyranny and corruption; the Nationalist supports ethnic, cultural, or religious unity, and fights against impurity, contamination, and diversity. He concludes, therefore, that while it is morally acceptable to be a patriot, it is morally unacceptable, as well as unnecessary, to be a nationalist to defend the values that nationalists hold dear. This work will be of interest to students and scholars of political theory and political science, as well as to historians of political thought.

For Love of Country: An Essay on Patriotism and Nationalism

Politics & Social Sciences

Viroli, Maurizio

Philosophy

Clarendon Press

Politics & Government

Machiavelli (Founders of Modern Political and Social Thought)

This book presents a critical examination of Machiavelli's thought, combining an accessible, historically-informed account of his work with a reassessment of his central ideas and arguments. Viroli challenges the accepted interpretations of Machiavelli's work, insisting that his republicanism was based not on a commitment to virtue, greatness, and expansion, but to the ideal of civic life protected by the shield of fair laws. His detailed study of how Machiavelli composed The Prince offers a number of new interpretations and he further contends that the most challenging--and underestimated--aspect of Machiavelli's thought is his philosophy of life, in particular his conceptions of love, women, irony, God, and the human condition.

Oxford University Press

A compelling portrait of the Italian philosopher who coined the phrase "the ends justify the means" looks at the man's surprising career and relationships, delving deeply into the personal history that enlivened his masterpiece, The Prince.

Niccolo's Smile : A Biography of Machiavelli

History

Farrar. Straus & Giroux

A vivid portrayal of the great Italian philosopher - now in paperback
In Niccolò's Smile, Maurizio Viroli brings to life the fascinating writer who was the founder of modern political thought. Niccolò Machiavelli's works on the theory and practice of statecraft are classics, but Viroli sugggests that his greatest accomplishment is his robust philosophy of life -- his deep beliefs about how one should conduct oneself as a modern citizen in a republic, as a responsible family member, as a good person. On these subjects Machiavelli wrote no books: the text of his philosophy is his life itself, a life that was filled with paradox, uncertainty, and tragic drama.

Niccolo's Smile: A Biography of Machiavelli

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

Hill and Wang

This book studies a central but hitherto neglected aspect of Rousseau's political thought: the concept of social order and its implications for the ideal society which he envisages. The antithesis between order and disorder is a fundamental theme in Rousseau's work, and the author takes it as the basis for this study. In contrast with a widely held interpretation of Rousseau's philosophy, Professor Viroli argues that natural and political order are by no means the same for Rousseau. He explores the differences and interrelations between the different types of order which Rousseau describes, and shows how the philosopher constructed his final doctrine of the just society, which can be based only on every citizen's voluntary and knowing acceptance of the social contract and on the promotion of virtue above ambition. The author also shows the extent of Rousseau's debt to the republican tradition, and above all to Machiavelli, and revises the image of Rousseau as a disciple of the natural-law school.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the 'Well-Ordered Society'

Cambridge University Press

From Politics to Reason of State: The Acquisition and Transformation of the Language of Politics 1250–1600 (Ideas in Context, Series Number 22)

Between the end of the sixteenth and the beginning of the seventeenth centuries, the language of politics underwent a radical transformation. The author argues that this transformation amounted to a "revolution of politics," global in scope, and wide-ranging in its intellectual and moral implications. Not only did the meaning and the range of application of the concept of politics change, but also the status of political science, the role of political education, and the value of political liberty. For three centuries politics had enjoyed the status of the noblest human science, but emerged from the revolution as an ignoble, sordid, and depraved activity. It was no longer the means of fighting corruption, but the means of perpetuating it. This "revolution of politics" has received little attention, despite its importance. This study fills a gap in the history of political thought, and attempts to return to a conception of politics as an activity worth committing ourselves to.

This book studies a central but hitherto neglected aspect of Rousseau's political thought: the concept of social order and its implications for the ideal society which he envisages. The antithesis between order and disorder is a fundamental theme in Rousseau's work, and the author takes it as the basis for this study. In contrast with a widely held interpretation of Rousseau's philosophy, Professor Viroli argues that natural and political order are by no means the same for Rousseau. He explores the differences and interrelations between the different types of order which Rousseau describes, and shows how the philosopher constructed his final doctrine of the just society, which can be based only on every citizen's voluntary and knowing acceptance of the social contract and on the promotion of virtue above ambition. The author also shows the extent of Rousseau's debt to the republican tradition, and above all to Machiavelli, and revises the image of Rousseau as a disciple of the natural-law school.

Social Sciences

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Books by Viroli, Maurizio

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Viroli, Maurizio. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

For Love of Country: An Essay on Patriotism and Nationalism

For Love of Country: An Essay on Patriotism and Nationalism

Machiavelli (Founders of Modern Political and Social Thought)

Machiavelli (Founders of Modern Political and Social Thought)

Niccolo's Smile : A Biography of Machiavelli

Niccolo's Smile: A Biography of Machiavelli

Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the 'Well-Ordered Society'

From Politics to Reason of State: The Acquisition and Transformation of the Language of Politics 1250–1600 (Ideas in Context, Series Number 22)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the 'Well-Ordered Society'

From Politics to Reason of State: The Acquisition and Transformation of the Language of Politics 1250–1600 (Ideas in Context, Series Number 22)