... the courtier or prince. In defining something one seeks to expose what is at its essence, to define the very nature of the thing. It follows that Castiglione and Machiavelli must have believed in the archetypes they sought to define as having an essential nature because otherwise their enterprises would be futile. But do their texts support the theory of essential archetypes? A close examination of their texts shows that the texts do not support this theory of essentialism. Essentialism Theories that deal with essentialism are as relevant today as they were in the time of Aristotle, the first recorded philosopher to grapple with the question essentialism. Essentialism is not an easy term to define, like most philosophical theories it is fraught with debate, but it is possible to look at one particular aspect of the theory of essentialism and apply it to the works of Castiglione and Machiavelli. This aspect of ...

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