HIstory: The Medici and Machiavelli

            The essential question for this mini unit is; How did wealth in Florence lead to new art and ideas during the Renaissance? To figure this out we did many activities in class. One was watch a video on the Medici family, probably the most powerful family of the time, and took notes on how their power came to be. They did by funding money for artists, thinkers, and scientists or otherwise know as patrons. Also, we read segments of "The Prince", by Niccolo Machiavelli. In this book Machiavelli takes about how a Prince should rule and do as ruler. He wrote this book to help the Medici and because they exiled him for trying to start a "rebellion" against the Medici. Machiavelli thought writing the book for the Medici would help his changes of the Medici canceling his exile. 

             One excerpts  from " The Prince" is: That Which Concerns the Prince on Subject of Art and War. It is important for a prince to study war because if his kingdom is attacked he must have a plan or if he wants to attack another kingdom he must also have a plan. In other words he has to know what he is doing when his town is attacked or he attacks. A prince could gain the knowledge of strategy by studying war. If he gets lazy about studying war and if he is attacked he won't know what to do and most likely lose. Also if he decides to attack someone he won't have a good plan of attack and most likely lose.

               I agree with Machiavelli's leadership ideas, but they only work for his time period. I think this because his ideas are based on manipulating peoples minds like using fear to win over your people, but now most people are educated and can figure out if you're not true to your word or just threatening them. Also, world leaders now have people doing the thinking for them so the ideas of ruling won't matter to them and they'll forget about Machiavelli's leadership ideas.