The Prince is a 16th-century political treatise written by Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli as an instruction guide for new princes and royals. The general theme of The Prince is of accepting that the aims of princes – such as glory and survival – can justify the use of immoral means to achieve those ends.
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527) was an Italian diplomat, philosopher, and historian who lived during the Renaissance. He is best known for his political treatise The Prince (Il Principe), written about 1513. He has often been called the father of modern political philosophy and political science.