Description

English summary: This book provides a translation of the short treatise on politics that Erasmus wrote for Charles V as he prepared to become the King of Spain. His premise was simple: the prince must govern in the interest of all and free himself of the disastrous ideologies of conquest and honor that had brought ruin to the peoples of Europe. This treatise was the antidote to the famous issue of his contemporary, Machiavelli: how to take power and how to conserve it? French description: Erasme composa, voici cinq siecles exactement, ce court traite de politique a l'usage du jeune Charles-Quint, age de seize ans, qui s'appretait a devenir roi d'Espagne. Sa these est simple: le prince doit gouverner dans l'interet de tous et s'affranchir des desastreuses ideologies de conquete et d'honneur qui n'ont apporte que la ruine chez les peuples d'Europe. La guerre doit etre evitee par tous les moyens possibles, et le prince doit consacrer toute son energie aux arts de la paix. C'est l'antidote a la celebre problematique de son contemporain Machiavel: Comment prendre le pouvoir et comment le conserver?