Virtù

Virtù is a concept most notably theorized by Niccolò Machiavelli

Niccolò Machiavelli

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian philosopher, writer, and is considered one of the main founders of modern political science. He was a diplomat, political philosopher, musician, and playwright, but, foremost, he was a civil servant of the Florentine Republic...

 centered on the martial spirit of a population or leader, but also encompasses a broader collection of traits necessary for maintenance of the state

Sovereign state

A sovereign state is a political association with effective internal and external sovereignty over a geographic area and population which is not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state...

 and "the achievement of great things." Virtù, for Machiavelli, was not equivalent to moral

Morality

Morality has three principal meanings.In its first, descriptive usage, morality means a code of conduct or belief concerning matters of what is moral or immoral...

 virtue

Virtue

Virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a character trait or quality valued as being good.Personal virtues are characteristics valued as promoting individual and collective well-being, and thus good by definition. The opposite of virtue is vice.-Virtues and values:Virtues can be placed into a...

, but was instead linked to the raison d'État

National interest

The national interest, often referred to by the French term raison d'État, is a country's goals and ambitions whether economic, military, or cultural. The notion is an important one in international relations where pursuit of the national interest is the foundation of the realist school.The...

. Indeed, what was good for the state and for the leader may be contradictory to that which is morally good.

Virtù is a concept most notably theorized by Niccolò Machiavelli

Niccolò Machiavelli

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian philosopher, writer, and is considered one of the main founders of modern political science. He was a diplomat, political philosopher, musician, and playwright, but, foremost, he was a civil servant of the Florentine Republic...

 centered on the martial spirit of a population or leader, but also encompasses a broader collection of traits necessary for maintenance of the state

Sovereign state

A sovereign state is a political association with effective internal and external sovereignty over a geographic area and population which is not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state...

 and "the achievement of great things." Virtù, for Machiavelli, was not equivalent to moral

Morality

Morality has three principal meanings.In its first, descriptive usage, morality means a code of conduct or belief concerning matters of what is moral or immoral...

 virtue

Virtue

Virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a character trait or quality valued as being good.Personal virtues are characteristics valued as promoting individual and collective well-being, and thus good by definition. The opposite of virtue is vice.-Virtues and values:Virtues can be placed into a...

, but was instead linked to the raison d'État

National interest

The national interest, often referred to by the French term raison d'État, is a country's goals and ambitions whether economic, military, or cultural. The notion is an important one in international relations where pursuit of the national interest is the foundation of the realist school.The...

. Indeed, what was good for the state and for the leader may be contradictory to that which is morally good. Virtù encompasses and includes all the virtue

Virtue

Virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a character trait or quality valued as being good.Personal virtues are characteristics valued as promoting individual and collective well-being, and thus good by definition. The opposite of virtue is vice.-Virtues and values:Virtues can be placed into a...

s. A person must be virtuous in every area before he can be said to have achieved virtù.

Virtu is derived from the Latin virtus, itself from man. It describes the qualities desirable for a man, which might not be same as virtue. Virtu includes pride, bravery, strength and an amount of ruthlessness.

External links

• http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/machiavelli/#3
• http://www.emachiavelli.com/Mach%20and%20Plato.htm