Political opportunism Political opportunism Political opportunism refers to the attempt to maintain political support, or increase political influence, in a way which disregards relevant ethical or political principles. The political philosophy of Niccolò Machiavelli as described in "The Prince" is often regarded as a classic manual of opportunist scheming, and indeed a "Machiavellian" is nowadays defined as "a cunning, amoral, and opportunist person, especially a politician". Political opportunism is interpreted in different ways, but usually refers to one or more of the following: Typically, opportunist political behavior is criticized for being short-sighted or narrow-minded. That is, in the urge to make short-term
The Art of War (Machiavelli) The Art of War (Machiavelli) The Art of War () is a treatise by the Italian Renaissance political philosopher and historian Niccolò Machiavelli. The format of "The Art of War" is a socratic dialogue. The purpose, declared by Lord Fabrizio Colonna (perhaps Machiavelli's "persona") at the outset, "To honor and reward "virtù", not to have contempt for poverty, to esteem the modes and orders of military discipline, to constrain citizens to love one another, to live without factions, to esteem less the private than the public good." To these ends, Machiavelli notes in his preface, the military is like the