Cesare Borgia / 凯撒·波吉亚

Cesare Borgia / 凯撒·波吉亚 is the major political example in 72.君主论：读它是一场危险的冒险’s discussion of 《君主论》. The episode identifies him as the son of Pope Alexander VI, a power-seeker in central Italy, and a figure connected to both Leonardo da Vinci and Machiavelli.

For the episode, Borgia matters because Machiavelli praises his political capacity without turning him into a morally innocent hero. The Romagna example, where a brutal deputy is executed and displayed after producing order and resentment, becomes the source’s clearest case of Cruelty Used Well.

Connections

• Niccolo Machiavelli / 马基雅维利 - observer and interpreter of Borgia’s political technique.
• 《君主论》 / The Prince - text where Borgia is treated as a central example.
• Cruelty Used Well - main concept Borgia anchors in this source.
• Non-Moral Political Analysis and Virtù And Fortuna Political Agency - analytical frames for why Borgia can be politically instructive without being morally endorsed.