Amar a Pátria mais do que a própria Alma: Corrupção, Conflito e Liberdade em Maquiavel

Abstract

Corruption, inexorable in political regimes and social customs, may be a condition for restoring a city or the cause of its ruin, therefore, it acquires ambiguous and ambivalent nuances in many passages in Machiavelli's corpus. Corruption may be used to obtain dominion, although it causes great difficulties for maintaining it; corruption may also weaken institutions aiming at increasing benefits to particular factions in contention inside a city. Consequently, corruption expansion, a social evil, destroys civility and perverts social customs, subduing freedom. Loving the homeland must encourage continuous battles against corruption, by diminishing civil factions through conflicts that attempt to satisfy all citizens while preserving liberty. This essay analyses relevant passages on corruption in the Machiavelli corpus (P. VII; D. I.10; 16; 17; 18; 29; IF. III.5); it examines some consequences of corruption and their effects when founding new orders or reformulating an existing regime from preexistent principles are necessary;  it discusses the relevance of Florentine secretary's thought about corruption in modern and contemporary republican thoughts.