par Berns, Thomas 
Référence Paradigmi, 2025-January-April, 1, page (43-51)
Publication Publié, 2025-01-01
Référence Paradigmi, 2025-January-April, 1, page (43-51)
Publication Publié, 2025-01-01
Article révisé par les pairs
| Résumé : | This article examines how Machiavelli separates tumult from fear through a radical rhetorical operation based on the parody of those who perceive tumult solely as a threat. This strategy reveals an implicit dialogue with the republican tradition, particularly Cicero, and employs laughter as a tool to disincorporate the distressing element of fear and oppose the logic of the state of exception. Focusing on chapter I, 4 of the Discourses on the First Decade of Livy, the paper analyzes how Machiavelli overturns traditional conceptions of political conflict, asserting the fertility of divisions for republican freedom. Machiavelli’s approach not only unmasks the philosophical premises of fear but also subverts them through ridicule, demonstrating how tumult, rather than a danger, is an essential condition for the maintenance of political freedom. The article also explores the nexus between power and the grotesque, engaging with Foucault’s reflections, and emphasizes the central role of laughter as a critical and political device in Machiavelli’s thought. |
