The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli, is a 16th-century political treatise. The Prince is sometimes claimed to be one of the first works of modern philosophy, especially modern political philosophy, in which the effective truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. It was also in direct conflict with the dominant Catholic and scholastic doctrines of the time concerning politics and ethics. The Prince has the general theme of accepting that the aims of princes—such as glory and survival—can justify the use of immoral means to achieve those ends. Although it is relatively short, the treatise is the most remembered of Machiavelli's works and the one most responsible for bringing the word "Machiavellian" into usage as a pejorative.

How many are the kinds of principalities and in what modes they are acquired --Of hereditary principalities -- Of mixed principalities -- Why the kingdom of Darius which Alexander seized did not rebel from his successors after Alexander's death -- How cities or principalities which lived by their own laws before they were occupied should be administered -- Of new principalities that are acquired through one's own arms and virtue -- Of new principalities that are acquired by other's arms and fortune -- Of those who have attained a principality through crimes -- Of the civil principality -- In what mode the forces of all principalities should be measured -- Of ecclesiastical principalities -- How many kinds of military there are and concerning mercenary soldiers -- Of auxiliary, mixed, and one's own soldiers -- What a prince should do regarding the military -- Of those things for which men and especially princes are praised or blamed -- Of liberality and parsimony -- Of cruelty and mercy, and whether it is better to be loved than feared, or the contrary -- In what mode faith should be kept by princes -- Of avoiding contempt and hatred -- Whether fortresses and many other things which are made and done by princes every day are useful or useless -- What a prince should do to be held in esteem -- Of those whom princes have as secretaries -- In what mode flatterers are to be avoided -- Why the princes of Italy have lost their states -- How much fortune can do in human affairs, and in what mode it may be opposed -- Exhortation to seize Italy and to free her from the barbarians.