Quentin Skinner and the republican freedom in Machiavelli

Abstract

My purpose is to discuss the conception of liberty found in Machiavelli’s political writings based on Quentin Skinner´s interpretation. This is because some republican authors such as Philip Pettit and Maurizio Viroli have been accepted his interpretation, holding their legal perspective of republican liberty. Then, it is not only a hermeneutic discussion, but also an opposition to a partial interpretation that emphasize the legal aspect of Machiavellian conception. My paper is divided into three parts: the first presents the reasons why Skinner took up the Machiavellian conception; the second sets out his interpretation; and the third quarrels aspects of his interpretation based on key features of Machiavelli´s political thought that should be considered in this discussion