Some people possess that quality which Machiavelli included in the arsenal of any authentic prince: virtù, a trait defined by a commentator of The Prince as embodied in “an individual endowed with exceptional qualities who seeks to seize reality in order to confront and reshape it, without being overwhelmed by its unpredictable unfolding (by fate).” Virtù, the supreme quality of the Machiavellian prince, is something different from Roman virtus or from virtue in ethical terms; it is an optimal composition of personality suited for a great deed, a strange blend of ingenuity, boldness, effectiveness, and foresight. Virtù is what enables a person of great stature to create their own destiny, rather than being merely a pawn of chance.
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Some people possess that quality which Machiavelli included in the arsenal of any authentic prince: virtù, a trait defined by a commentator of The Prince as embodied in “an individual endowed with exceptional qualities who seeks to seize reality in order to confront and reshape it, without being overwhelmed by its unpredictable unfolding (by fate).” Virtù, the supreme quality of the Machiavellian prince, is something different from Roman virtus or from virtue in ethical terms; it is an optimal composition of personality suited for a great deed, a strange blend of ingenuity, boldness, effectiveness, and foresight. Virtù is what enables a person of great stature to create their own destiny, rather than being merely a pawn of chance.