Prudence and reason of State. Old arguments for a new art of government

The expression reason of State belongs to the language and political culture of the late Renaissance. It is still commonly used to indicate the use of force, se- crecy or exceptional instruments by the holder of political power driven by the need to maintain personal rule, guarantee the order in society, or the State’s se- curity. While borrowing concepts and ideas from traditional humanist sources and juridical tradition—Aristotelism, Tacitism, Roman Law—reason of State literature represents an innovative approach to politics. By reflecting on the reason of the State, both politicians as writers helped to conceptualize and therefore produce the modern State itself. In this sense, the literature of reason of State only partially belongs to the history of political classicism. It neither fits into the framework drawn by modern theories of sovereignty. Reason of State is an innovative political paradigm aiming to offer a different rationale on the “arts” of government and rule a State. Discussing the Italian tradition of ragion di Stato and the role it gives to political prudence, I want to highlight how much the reference to classical authors and themes—namely Aristotle and Tacitus—constituted the conscious reuse of traditional ideas and concepts to promote new thinking about the State and its government. The Italian literature of reason of State constitutes a paradigmatic example of a complex theoretical early modern effort to think the State and justify new political rules through the careful reframing of classical sources.