The Prince and the Modern ExecutiveFew question the Prince's place in the canon of Western literature. The fact that it marks a turning point in our collective history, the origin of the study of politics as a science (Pollock 43), is alone enough to justify its classification as a “Great Book.” Its author, Niccolò Machiavelli, a contemporary of Copernicus, is generally accepted as an early contributor to the scientific revolution, because he looked at the power and nature of sovereignty through the eyes of a scientist, focused completely on the goal without regard for religion, the morals and ethics that Machiavelli taught actually govern often differ substantially from the way they should govern, according to medieval Christian virtues Sir Frederick Pollock wrote that in Machiavelli we find "for the first time since Aristotle, the pure impassive curiosity of "man of science. We find the separation between ethics and politics... Machiavelli does not take morality into account" (43). Machiavelli considers a successful ruler to be above morality, as the security and expansion of the state are the supreme goals. There had not been such a frank rejection of morality since the Greek sophists. His ideas are in stark contrast to the teachings of the traditional church. It is no wonder that The Prince was added to the Index of Banned Books and remains to this day one of the most criticized and controversial books ever written. It is a scientific investigation into tactics for maintaining power. It is about the application of power in pursuit of a greater goal, although it is doubtful whether Machiavelli realized the far-reaching impact of his work the application is timeless and parts......middle of paper.. ....reading The Prince and, if they have already read it, rereading it as with all true "Great Books", each subsequent reading reveals new ideas and insights. The Prince, though disturbingly cold and blunt at times, is no different. Works CitedButterfield, Herbert. Machiavelli's Art of Government. New York: MacMillan, 1956. Jones, W. T. Masters of Political Thought. Ed. Edward, McChesner and Sait. vol. 2. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1947. Lewis, Wyndham. The Lion and the Fox: The Role of the Hero in Shakespeare's Works. London: Methuen, 1951.Machiavelli, Niccolò. The prince. Trans. Hill Thompson. Norwalk: The Easton Press, 1980. Pollock, Frederick. An introduction to the history of political science. London: MacMillan, 1935.Ruffo-Fiore, Silvia. Niccolo Machiavelli. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1982.