{"id":1066,"date":"2026-08-09T18:46:03","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T13:16:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/pyq\/critically-examine-machiavellis-views-on-religion-and-politics-upsc-psir-2013-1202\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T21:23:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T15:53:41","slug":"critically-examine-machiavellis-views-on-religion-and-politics-upsc-psir-2013-1202","status":"publish","type":"psir_pyq","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/psir-pyq\/critically-examine-machiavellis-views-on-religion-and-politics-upsc-psir-2013-1202\/","title":{"rendered":"Critically examine Machiavelli&#8217;s views on religion and politics."},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"pq-flow\">\n<div class=\"pq-flow-h\">Flow snapshot <em>\u2014 how the answer moves<\/em><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p1\"><span>Intro routes<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 1<\/i> religious ordinances ruled state policy <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> <b class=\"pq-sc\">Machiavelli<\/b> reverses it <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> religion serves the state, not rules it<\/p>\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 2<\/i> not anti-religion <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> utilitarian stance <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> religion as instrument of statecraft<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p2\"><span>Body flow<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p>admits utility (ordinances <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> greatness of commonwealths; neglect <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> devastation) <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> disciplinary force <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> order &amp; stability <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> but refuses religion as foundation of politics <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> religion not above the state <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> opposes Church\u2019s command <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> separates religious authority from political power <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> <b class=\"pq-sc\">Dunning<\/b> <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> frees politics from vassalage of religion <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> modern age<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p3\"><span>Counter-view<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p><b class=\"pq-sc\">Sabine<\/b> <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> almost blind to religion\u2019s political role over the next two centuries <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> purely instrumental view underrates religion\u2019s force<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p4\"><span>Conclusion routes<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 1<\/i> worth: founds secular, autonomous politics freed from Church control<\/p>\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 2<\/i> limit: reduces religion to a mere tool of the state, missing its deeper political power<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"pyq_year":[46],"pyq_marks":[35],"pyq_topic":[56],"pyq_paper":[33],"class_list":["post-1066","psir_pyq","type-psir_pyq","status-publish","hentry","pyq_year-46","pyq_marks-15-marks","pyq_topic-western-political-thought","pyq_paper-paper-1"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq\/1066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/psir_pyq"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq\/1066\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4660,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq\/1066\/revisions\/4660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"pyq_year","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_year?post=1066"},{"taxonomy":"pyq_marks","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_marks?post=1066"},{"taxonomy":"pyq_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_topic?post=1066"},{"taxonomy":"pyq_paper","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_paper?post=1066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}