There are few political thinkers with as evil a reputation as the Florentine writer Niccolo Machiavelli. Machiavelli's philosophy was believed to be so cutthroat and cynically ruthless that some thought it was demonically inspired. There is even a historical myth that Niccolo Machiavelli's first name inspired the English to call the devil "Old Nick". Despite the fact that the story probably isn't true, Machiavelli's Satanic reputation has persisted. However, we need to ask if Machiavelli's reputation deserved. Have people been misunderstanding his writing for centuries? Tune in and find out how Beelzebub, Leonardo Da Vinci, and the Pope's Banker all play a role in the story.    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.