ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights some developments in Machiavellianism and reason of state in order to clarify where they converge and diverge by using the issue of policy as a guideline. It argues that while Machiavelli's influence was crucial in the definition of policy as prudence, his role was only secondary in English debates on reason of state. Machiavellianism and Machiavelli's influences in Tudor and Stuart cultures have been studied widely. Early Stuart Machiavellianism is commonly interpreted as the prosecution of the Elizabethan canon. The chapter distinguishes a 'Machiavellian' approach to policy from those prerogative powers, extra legem, at the disposal of a legitimate sovereign, whether monarchical or parliamentary. Friedrich Meinecke interpreted Machiavelli as the agent of a historical necessity leading towards the full recognizance of the state, of its nature, its aims and interests. Both Mosse and Raab accepted Meinecke's view of Machiavelli's political theory as the ground of reason of state.
