Comment on Machiavelli's secularism.

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 Machiavelli is often credited with pioneering the separation of politics from religion, ethics and morals, laying the groundwork for modern secularism, as highlighted in his seminal work "The Prince." He asserted that rulers must be pragmatic in their decisions and vision to realize a flourishing and stable nation.

Machiavelli argued that the head of a state ought to do good if he can but be willing to commit evil if he must, i.e., the ruler should be willing to work his way following a pragmatic approach based on experience and example while overtly rejecting reliance on ethics and morality in political discussions, emphasizing that it slows down decision-making. Moreover, he suggested that a ruler should appear religious to gain the support and trust of the people, even if his actions are not guided by sincere piety.

However, Machiavelli's ideas have faced significant criticism. Thinkers like Leo Strauss have argued that separation of politics from ethics justifies a form of ethical amorality, where pursuit of power justifies any means, including deception, fear and violence. Similarly, Isaiah Berlin critiques Machiavelli for counseling leaders to divert from common values like temperance and mercy, thus undermining the moral foundations of politics and consequently resulting in cynical use of power (authoritarianism).

In contemporary politics Machiavelli's influence is visible in various global leaders' actions, like Vladimir Putin's strategic use of religion and national identity to consolidate power in Russia, reflecting a Machiavellian approach to deploying and using power for one's own gain. India's position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict (maintaining a neutral position and abstaining from voting in the UN) is another illustration of the Machiavellian approach in international relations while dealing with a key ally.

To conclude, despite the criticism, Machiavelli's method of approaching political discourse is a helpful manual towards pragmatism and secularism in a vastly changing and dynamic global order.

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