The Virtues of Machiavelli

The concept of VF2 is the absolute pivot of both the friendship and the discourse. Machiavelli thinks any ruler must fundamentally aim to do what he calls "mountain-ely lostato" In a world in which most men are not good, if you are always non-sonic woody, it will not enable you to keep your promise or start off well. You lose your state. So this all goes together with a kind of popular conception about Machiavellis: that he's very cynical but also makes a place for virtue.