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PARTISAN REVIEW
developments of the Machiavellian doctrine, just as
it
will always
rebel against attitudes or preachings or theories in which
it
discovers
instinctively the odor of a personal interest rather than thought that
is free. In other words, a system of thought may appear at first sight
unusual, odd, even aberrant, and yet offend no one, precisely because
it is thought and nothing but thought; and sooner or later that which
appeared unusual, odd, unbalanced, will become acceptable, normal,
and obvious. For example, the doctrine of Christianity appeared to
many ancient thinkers as a morbid paradox; but in less than two
centuries it turned out to be nothing less than the thought of all
humanity, and it gave content to the life of all men. The thought
of Machiavelli, on the other hand, at a distance of four centuries,
retains something embarrassing, singular, uncontrolled, even for the
most open-minded reader. Far from becoming normal and giving
content to the life of all men, it seems to remain attached to the
figure of its creator, like a vice or some other wholly personal trait.
In other words, it turns out to be different from thought in many
ways, something that seems to be thought and in reality is not. The
irritation which posterity has felt toward the work of Machiavelli
derives mainly from the fact that never was a personal attitude better
concealed and developed with the method that is proper to thought.
On the other hand, a judgment of Machiavellianism is rendered dif–
ficult by the presence of real thought mixed with what is not thought;
Machiavelli's political science is put to the service of sentiments and
passions which have little or nothing to do with science itself.
There does indeed exist in the work of Machiavelli a very large
sum total of extremely exact observations, a rigorous logic, a con–
structive power and a method which claim the attention and ad–
miration of the reader, even when he is most unprepared. But along–
side of these qualities, whlch are the most solid foundations of
Machiavelli's glory, there exists also something else which Machiavelli
could not and did not want to conceal. For few writers have been
as sincere as Machiavelli; in fact, in his candor one recognizes the
greatness of the man. And it is, of course, a constant trait of great
men to offer themselves openly and disarmed, as though they were
sure of their own inner strength and complexity.
But it is precisely this candor which permits us to disassociate
Machiavellianism from the political science of Machiavelli. Another
