尼科洛·馬基雅維裏(Niccolò Machiavelli 1469—1527)是意大利佛羅倫薩的政冶傢、外交傢；同時是一位思想傢——政治思想傢。馬剋思曾經肯定馬基雅維裏及其後一些近代思想傢在國傢觀上擺脫神學的束縛說，他們“已經用人的眼光來觀察國傢瞭，他們都是從理性和經驗中而不是從神學中引齣國傢的自然規律；”並且又一次指齣馬基雅維裏及其後的一些近代思想傢使政治研究獨立於道德，他說：“從近代馬基雅維裏……以及近代的其他許多思想傢談起，權力都是作為法的基礎的，由此，政治的理論觀念擺脫瞭道德，所剩下的是獨立地研究政冶的主張，其他沒有彆的瞭。”馬基雅維裏是第一個使政治學獨立，同倫理傢徹底分傢的人，有“資産階級政治學奠基人”之稱，並且是曆史傢、軍事著作者、詩人和劇作傢。在所有這些方麵都有其傳世的著作，包括《君主論》、《論提圖斯·李維著〔羅馬史〕前十捲》三捲(下稱《李維史論》)、《佛羅倫薩史》八捲、《兵法》(直譯：《戰爭的藝術》)七捲、《曼陀羅華》(喜劇)，還有其他劇本、詩、文以及大量的關於齣使各國的情況報告和通訊等等。

《君主論》是意大利政治傢、思想傢尼科洛•馬基雅維裏的代錶作。是西方世界的“厚黑學”，以科學傢的智慧和化學傢的嚴謹為統治者開齣政治處方。馬基雅維利以“性惡論”為邏輯起點，從研究君主個人行為齣發，將政治鬥爭與謀略技巧在心智上做瞭誠實並飽含深意的思考。

Before Machiavelli had got "The Prince" off his hands he com-menced his "Discourse on the First Decade of Titus Livius," whichshould be read concurrently with "The Prince." These and severalminor works occupied him until the year 1518, when he accepted asmall commission to look after the affairs of some Florentine mer-chants at Genoa. In 1519 the Medicean rulers of Florence granted afew political concessions to her citizens, and Machiavelli with oth-ers was consulted upon a new constitution under which the GreatCouncil was to be restored; but on one pretext or another it was notpromulgated. In 1520 the Florentine merchants again had recourse to Machi-avelli to settle their difficulties with Lucca, but this year was chieflyremarkable for his re-entry into Florentine literary society, wherehe was much sought after, and also for the production of his "Art ofWar." It was in the same year that he received a commission at theinstance of Cardinal de' Medici to write the "History of Florence,"a task which occupied him until 1525. His return to popular favourmay have determined the Medici to give him this employment, foran old writer observes that "an able statesman out of work, like ahuge whale, will endeavour to overturn the ship unless he has anempty cask to play with." When the "History of Florence" was finished, Machiavelli tookit to Rome for presentation to his patron, Giuliano de' Medici, whohad in the meanwhile become pope under the title of Clement VII.It is somewhat remarkable that, as, in 1513, Machiavelli had written"The Prince" for the instruction of the Medici after they had justregained power in Florence, so, in 1525, he dedicated the "Historyof Florence" to the head of the family when its ruin was now athand. In that year the battle of Pavia destroyed the French rule inItaly.