ABSTRACT

Frederick was made aware of this inner conflict by his study of the great Renaissance political theorist, Machiavelli. Using the imagery of lion and fox to represent the two essential driving forces of politics, physical strength and cunning, Machiavelli stripped political practice to its barest bones and followed his theories to their logical conclusion. His Prince stood in the tradition of medieval 'Mirrors of Princes', and was aimed at dispelling fictitious tales of noble heroism and instead presenting a contemporary view of political reality. Frederick rejected this tale of crime and betrayal in his Anti-Machiavel, putting forward instead the moral teachings of an eighteenth-century enlightened monarch. Friedrich Meinecke suggests that inherent in Frederick was a dualism between Machiavellianism and anti-Machiavellianism, but this seems too simplistic a hypothesis. Frederick's acknowledgement of the rights and duties of a ruler as commander-in-chief is even clearer. He agrees wholeheartedly with Machiavelli.