The Perilous Allure of Demagogues: Lessons from Machiavelli to Modern Democracies

I've recently been engrossed in Erica Benner's "Machiavelli's Ethics," a book that sheds light on the political machinations of yesteryears and the timeless relevance they hold today. A quote that

struck me was this:

Both sides invoke the good words republic, freedom, fatherland, and justice. Yet the Medicis and other tyranny-prone individuals who appear earlier in the work use them much more liberally to arouse popular passions, adding heavy doses of God and religion to their rhetoric.

It got me thinking about the notion of free speech in the context of our modern liberal democracies, and the precariousness that can arise when demagogues enter the public square.

The terminology of 'freedom,' 'justice,' and 'republic' have been generously applied throughout history, often by those who seek to subvert these very principles. In this way, ancient and Renaissance republics parallel our modern times, demonstrating an enduring vulnerability to charismatic individuals wielding these words like weapons.

As Ms. Benner's points out, Machiavelli himself exposed the fallacy that "extraordinary entrepreneurial princes" could rescue corrupt republics. As he astutely observed, these so-called saviors often usher in more strife and chaos than they resolve. In my own writing, I've explored similar themes. In my upcoming book Rings of Iron, for example, the Roman Republic narrowly survives one demagogue; but as well all know it eventually fell to another because it failed to inoculate itself against such figures.

So what safeguards us against the slide into authoritarianism? Contrary to popular belief, it's not the divisions among us that herald the downfall of republics. It's the loss of faith in our institutions, the abandonment of peaceful methods to bring change, and the insidious rise of violence—not necessarily from the government but from groups that aim to establish or maintain dominance.

The strongest defense, then, lies not in a citizenry armed with weapons, but in one equipped with the intellectual tools to dissect impassioned rhetoric and uncover underlying self-interest or flawed ideologies. In this light, our role as writers and thinkers is to contribute to this arsenal of critical thinking—to challenge, question, and most importantly, to foster an environment that scrutinizes ideas before adopting them.

Our hope lies not in avoiding divisions but in fortifying the institutions and principles that can withstand them. Let's remember that, lest we allow history's darker lessons to replay themselves in the chapters of our future.