Niccolo Machiavelli. The Founder of Modern Political Thought. Revista Polis. Volum IX, Nr. 3(33)/***

his study identifies a genealogy between Thomas Hobbes' theory of absolute government and John Locke's liberal worldview. It traces the seeds of eighteenth century optimistic liberal ideologies (endorsed by thinkers decisively influenced by Locke and Adam Smith) in Hobbes' pessimistic theories concerning his radical distrust of the capacities of the 'common man and woman' to build up democratic commonwealths. Following Christopher Lasch's path, it proposes a hopeful (or melioristic) view on politics, which (as opposed to the optimism of eighteenth century liberalism) does not propose endless and steady improvement or perfection. It reflects on Machiavelli's notion of virtu (virtue) that we could think of it in relation to Arendt's idea of action. The latter points to the ancient Athenian polis or to the American council system of direct democracy.