Machiavelli’s Fox and Lion: Cunning, Force, and the Departure from Classical Political Thought Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince (1513) is often read as a watershed in political theory, marking a decisive rupture with the classical and medieval traditions of political philosophy. While earlier political thought, from Plato to Aristotle and the Christian scholastics, sought to anchor … Continue reading Analyse how the dual imagery of the fox and the lion encapsulates Machiavelli’s departure from classical political thought. Debate whether Machiavelli’s emphasis on cunning and force undermines the possibility of just and moral governance.