Niccol o Machiavelli the laughing lion and the strutting fox

"This book places Machiavelli in historical context but argues that his understanding of moral conflicts is well ahead of his time. Instead of arguing for the autonomy of politics, as is commonly supposed, Machiavelli grapples with the special problems of role-differentiated morality, where the duties of public office often conflict with the demands of conventional morality."@en
""Machiavelli is usually understood as a thinker who separated morality from politics and championed the view that "the ends justify the means." Raymond Angelo Belliotti argues, instead, that Machiavelli presents us with a much more nuanced view of the potential moral conflicts faced by politicians and military leaders." "Belliotti neither tries to domesticate Machiavelli by picturing him as a liberal humanist nor paint him as a teacher of evil. Rather, this book offers a balanced understanding of the Florentine and an insightful examination of the stunning discoveries and glaring errors that arise from his conclusion that international affairs have always been and will always be a series of zero-sum contests."--Jacket."