| Summary: | The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of social discord,
based on the analysis of early chapters of Niccolo Machiavelli’s Discourses
on Livy. I argue that, by deriving a broader philosophical concept from
Machiavelli’s peculiar position that strife between the plebs and the senate
made the Roman republic free and powerful (Machiavelli 1998: 16), we can
greatly enhance our understanding of not only some of the more original and
controversial positions within the Florentine theorist’s magnum opus, but
also of his thought in general. Furthermore, by analyzing crucial moments
within Machiavelli’s observation of the rise and fall of the Roman republic
through the lens of social discord, I argue that the concept can be
established as the foundation of his understanding of republicanism, while
contesting his designation of the people as the guardians of liberty.
Finally, I contrast the concept of social discord with that of social
conflict - a subtle and seemingly negligible distinction that can, in my
understanding of Machiavelli’s thought, nonetheless mean the difference
between a republic’s development and prosperity and its untimely downfall.
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