As I finished The Prince I began to think about how most of what I had read, I felt like I already knew. When I say this, I don't mean to imply that Machiavelli wasted his time in writing down what was obvious, or that I am so smart that I could've written The Prince. I believe that I was so acquainted with The Prince because of how pervasive Machiavellian thought is in everyday life.
One of the areas that Machiavellian thought is so apparent is in the political arena. This is obviously the closest equivalent to the princely kingdoms that Machiavelli discussed. If most voters read The Prince I don't think they would be as surprised when politicians do the things they do. Actually, when I think about it, I bet that most politicians bet on the fact that most voters don't think along a Machiavellian vein. If they did, it would most likely be a lot more difficult to pull the wool over their eyes.
The corporate world is another place that Machiavelli is a big player. What is so apparent in business circles, though, is that the enemy is usually clearly defined. Two corporations that sell the same thing are obvious enemies. If you ask me, I'd rather know my enemy.
This blog seems to be a lot of random thoughts regarding The Prince. If any of you are thinking about choosing this as a "best blog," you're crazy. I guess I just don't have any strong reactions to it. Hopefully next week I'll have something better to say.
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I think to add much to Machiavelli you'd have to specify ways in which his thinking applies to our world today, e.g. in the area of political campaigns. What is the equivalent of "cruelty" vs. "mercy" in relation to criticizing political opponents? How is politics reconceived when it is regarded as warfare? etc. The more specific you can be in regard to these matters, the more you can begin to 'conquer' yourself the vast territory of mind that Machiavelli sets before us, inviting us in, across the border. (Perhaps we should take care, however, not to suffer what China's invaders suffered: assimilation.)
ReplyDeleteI read once that career military men/women (as a whole)are eager for wars because it ensures that they will quickly move up the rank and file in a way that would take years upon years if no wars were occuring.In as far as the corporate world goes, I kept thinking of Walmart. They did an amazing job of wiping out many competitors. In regard to our national politics, its interesting to compare what we know of "poitical leaks" and strategy to Machiavelli's advice. All in all, what we see in our society correlates to Machiavellian strategy quite well. I wonder if it's a coincidence
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