ANSWER: Niccolo Machiavelli and Baldassare Castiglione
Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) Italian Renaissant, diplomat and political philosopher, who served as secretary of the Florentine republic. In this position, he carried out several diplomatic missions and witnessed the brutal reality of the state-building methods of Cesare Borgia and other rulers.
His experience in this position influenced one of his most famous writing: "The Prince" (1532), a political treatise in which immoral behavior, such as dishonesty and the killing of innocents, is represented as normal and effective in politics. He also wrote "The Art of War" (1521), a dialogue between humanists discussing philosophy and politics.
Baldassare Castiglione, (1478-1529) was also an Italian Renaissant, diplomat and courtier, diplomat. His position in the court led him to write "Il libro del cortegiano" (1528), a discussion of the qualities of the ideal courtier.
