Dwarkesh Podcast · 16 June 2026 · 128 min

Ada Palmer – Machiavelli is the most misunderstood thinker of all time

MachiavelliThe PrinceItalian city-statesPapacyCesare BorgiaPolitical powerPatronageRenaissance justiceReligion and politicsExilePrinting pressCopyrightCensorshipPolitical partiesHistorical contextPolitical stabilityMachiavellianismRenaissance scholarship

In this episode, Ada Palmer discusses Niccolò Machiavelli as a deeply patriotic and misunderstood thinker, focusing on the historical context of his work, especially The Prince. They explore Machiavelli's diplomatic career, his views on power, religion, patronage, and political stability, as well as the divergence between Machiavelli the man and the Machiavellian character in popular culture.

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