ABSTRACT
This chapter elaborates a reading of Machiavellian republicanism that differs from the U. S. republican tradition. It focuses on punctual acts of creation in the public sphere, without presupposing particular attributes of an ideal social order, the achievement of which might justify abrogation of certain property rights. The chapter engages the Leo Strausss influentialand very differentinterpretation of Machiavelli's politics. It relies the analytical force of Benjaminian materialism. The chapter argues those impressed by Benjamin's writings of Last Will, finds ample support in Agamben and Benjamin. If Zizek is correct that the modern prohibition against enjoyment is overcame by the post-modern command to enjoy, then the passion to cover the private passions, which has resulted in desire for inheritability of private property, may be in the process of transformation. Virt can be thought as something like human will: that can be channeled by the structures of desire, by the structures of law and language, but never fully contained by these.
