Religion and Politics in Machiavelli's the Prince

"No institution is firm or lasting if it rests on man's strength alone. History and reason combine to show that the roots of all great institutions are to be found outside this world...Sovereignties, in particular possess strength, unity, stability, only to the degree to which they are sanctified by religion."

This quote details the significance of religion in the political world. Machiavelli's The Prince was written in Italy, during a time period that witnessed an unstable political system. Towards the end of the 15th century, the Popes had a large involvement in politics; an endeavor at which they were not particularly honorable. They made alliances with the Italian city-states, put their own families in political positions, and were involved in assassination attempts. The Popes professed "eternal law" which was a divine system that defined the nature of the universe. Similarly, they believed in "natural law", which was basically eternal law as it related to humans- their ultimate purpose in life, given to them by God. Politics were viewed simply as a way to expand on and implement these spiritual beliefs, implying that rulers were representations of God on earth, or were selected by a divine right. The quote alludes to these beliefs, stating that for a government and ruler to be successful, religion and God must bless them. Machiavelli was one of the first to depart from the idea of politics as nothing more than an instrument in the plan of God. He was concerned with defining power, and expressing his idea that politics should be seen as an activity in its own right. He is an exponent of humanism, which is defined by the Cambridge International Dictionary as "a belief system based on the principle that people's spiritual and emotional needs can be fulfilled without following a religion." He feels that politics should deal with facts rather than with abstractions; he is interested in the present state of man, rather than the religious ideal. He believes in an extreme separation of church and state, which was an opinion that did not win him much favor among the religious.