Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (1469 – 1527) was an Italian writer, diplomat and historian who has often been called the founder of modern political science. Although Machiavelli never seems to have considered himself a philosopher, he contributed to a large number of important discourses in political philosophy. Machiavelli was the first theorist to make a division between political realism and political idealism, for politics since the time of Aristotle was strictly bonded with ethics and morality. In this context, Machiavelli emphasized that a ruler must be concerned not only with reputation, but also must occasionally use the methodical exercise of brute force or deceit. In his best-known treatise<em> The Prince</em>, Machiavelli writes that it is better for a ruler to be feared than loved, since love is volatile and is broken every time when personal interests of the public are at stake. Fear, on the contrary, is constant and stable. Hence, it is more appropriate for a ruler to use fear to succeed in achieving his objectives.
