The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli is a political treatise written in 1513 and published in 1532.
Presented as an instruction guide for new rulers, this controversial work suggests that immoral acts may be necessary to achieve political power and glory. Written in vernacular Italian rather than Latin, it breaks from traditional advice literature by focusing on practical effectiveness over abstract ideals.
Its worldview challenged dominant Catholic doctrines of the time, making “Machiavellian” synonymous with political cunning and contributing to modern negative connotations of politics itself.