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Research Paper | Political Science | Volume 15 Issue 6, June 2026 | Pages: 1723 - 1730 | India
The State Writ Large: Machiavelli?s Defence of Property as Civic Virtue and War Necessity
Abstract: The tension between individual acquisition and collective survival remains a paradox of political thought, particularly within the context of the Italian Renaissance. Here, Niccolo Machiavelli's defence of private property is examined as an adaptation within the framework of Plato's "State Writ Large" analogy. Machiavelli theorizes an organic state whose survival depends on its constituent parts ? the citizens. By analyzing The Prince, The Discourses on Livy, and The Art of War, this research demonstrates that Machiavelli's protection of property (patrimony) is not a precursor to liberal rights, but a pragmatic necessity for fostering civic virtue (virt?) and military reliability. This study argues that property acts as the pivot to maintain state stability. The property?virtue nexus provides the foundation for the citizen-soldier model, which Machiavelli identifies as the only reliable defence against foreign empires and mercenary corruption. Also, to illustrate how the state's emergency mobilization of resources is justified as a macrocosmic act of self-defence, the research explores the Doctrine of Necessity. Ultimately, this research synthesises a model of an armed republic, where the security of private assets offers a mechanism to ensure the sovereignty and internal stability of the organic state.
Keywords: Niccolo Machiavelli, State Writ Large, Patrimony, Civic Virtue, and War Necessity
How to Cite?: Keshav Sankar J., "The State Writ Large: Machiavelli?s Defence of Property as Civic Virtue and War Necessity", Volume 15 Issue 6, June 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1723-1730, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26601134748, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26601134748