Machiavelli and the principles behind authoritarian rule; Could he explain the fate of Muammar al-Gaddafi?

• Main Author: Delphin, Andreas
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för statsvetenskap (ST) 2014
• Subjects: Machiavelli; totalitarian rule; autocratic rule; principles of power; Gaddafi; envålds styre; maktstruktur; Political Science (excluding Public Administration Studies and Globalisation Studies); Statsvetenskap (exklusive studier av offentlig förvaltning och globaliseringsstudier)
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-34817

This study will try an hypothesis built on Machiavellis principles of power and examine the position of Machiavellis importance in the world of today. The hypothesis contains principles of Machiavellis thoughts on power and is ment to be used as an analytical tool to understand the downfall of totalitarian leaders. The hypothesis gains strength from this study due to the fact that it could explain the fall of Colonel Gaddafi and may even have predicted the downfall of Muammar Gaddafi based on the violation of several of the principles that built up the hypothesis. The hypothesis however, needs more testing to be able to be accepted as a generalization. The importance of Machiavelli and his school of thought is strengthened by the fact that the principles shown in the hypothesis are viable and the fact that Machiavelli still contributes to discussion on modern principles of power. Through the glasses that are the hypothesis we get a clear picture that tells us why Colonel Gaddafi got overthrown; He simply pushed the people to far.