Man in his own history: Machiavelli from a Lefortian’s perception

Abstract

This article analyze Claude Lefort´s interpretation of the fundamental rupture that Machiavelli has inflicted upon political thinking. In opposition to classical views derived from ancient thought, Lefort discovered that Machiavelli opened an unexplored path which points to the fact that legitimate power does not lie in mere “measures” (norms, laws, beliefs, or traditions), but in the interaction of social forces that shapes the nature of a city. The above mentioned French philosopher paves the way to this interpretation through the “exemplary” reading material of Antonio Gramsci and Leo Strauss. This paper aims at making a brief review of contemporary narratives whose internal contradictions would guide Lefort along the path that leads to what he defines as “Machiavelli´s new ontology“, according to which, conflict is at the basis of the construction of political order – therefore, in the nature of cities.