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The Western Canon Mailing List
Moderator: Paul John Barnette Jr.
Activation Date: March 8, 1997
Current Date:  August 21, 1997
Current Membership: 100
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In Western Canon #076, Paul Barnette wrote to Dr. Adler:

>I applaud Mr. Williams' attempts to illustrate Machiavellian concepts
>vis-a-vis the business community because there these concepts are
>employed with less subterfuge and with less apology. I seriously doubt
>one will find in the office of any CEO a plaque that reads "Our >interest
as always, is how the world ought to work". 

Mr. Barnette:

     I do think many businesses in the business community practice
Machiavellian principles but I think in today's society, with the public
focused on the past misbehavings of corporations and corporate executives,
many corporations are using those principles but with more MORE subterfuge
and MORE apology than ever before.  Under the paradigm of "good corporate
citizenship", corporations today are taking large steps to improve their
tarnished images of the past and are now trying to put forth a new and
improved image, one of responsibility and ethical behavior. Today, you
might actually find a plaque in a CEO's office that reads "Our interest, as
always, is how the world ought to work", or some such variation as might be
espoused in corporate vision statements, corporate rules of ethics, or
various other "codes of conduct" the business community claims it is
imposing on itself. 

     Since, however, I don't think most CEO's get a healthy dose of either
Aristotle or Christianity while getting their MBAs, I think there is a good
case to be made that this "new and improved image" may in many cases be
itself another example of Machiavellian principles in action, where
literally ethics themselves are being used as nothing more than coverups
for the same old principles of profit at all costs that have driven many
businesses in the past.  Why the new image?  Simple.  The stakes are high.
New and lucrative markets are at stake which would provide corporations
with the potential for huge profits beyond anything previously imagined.
Corporations don't want to spend time fighting public relations battles
which would take their energy away from what they want to do and which
might cost them access to future opportunities due to a poor public image.
Sounds pretty Machiavellian to me. 

Bret Williams

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Paul Barnette also wrote in Western Canon #076:

>"Machiavelli was writing for men who have to make hard decisions in
>moments of great urgency, such as Truman's decision to drop the atomic
>bomb or Kennedy's decisions during the Cuban Missile Crisis."


     Certainly I think Machiavellian principles were designed for people
who do have to make hard decisions in moments of great urgency.  I would
say, however, only for clarification, that I don't think you are
necessarily limiting the use of Machiavellian principles to situations of
urgency only.  Clearly, Machiavellian principles are not limited to a short
event horizon as I think I have shown using the examples noted by Dr. Adler
in Western Canon #062.  I am in complete agreement with your statement that
The Prince was not addressed to those who would use the work as a blueprint
for ethics.

Bret Williams

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