In recent years, Niccolo Machiavelli's works have been viewed primarily with historical interest as analyses of the tactics used by immoral political officials. Roger D. Masters, a leading expert in the relationship between modern natural science and politics, boldly argues in this book that Machiavelli should be reconsidered as a major philosopher whose thought makes the wisdom of antiquity accessible to the modern (and post-modern) condition, and whose understanding of human nature is superior to that of such moderns as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, or Mill. Central to Master's claim is his discovery, based in previously untranslated documents, that Machiavelli knew and worked with Leonardo da Vinci between 1502 and 1507.
An interdisciplinary tour de force, Machiavelli, Leonardo, and the Science of Power will challenge, perplex, and ultimately delight most readers with its evocative story of the relationship between Machiavelli and da Vinci, their crucial roles in the emergence of modernity, and the vast implications this holds for contemporary life and society.

Roger D. Masters is the Nelson A. Rockefeller Professor of Government at Darmouth College.