Machiavelli's The Prince and Modern Corporate Ethics

Introduction

This essay examines The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli, addressing key questions about the work's ongoing relevance. Many people feel that The Prince can easily translate to modern corporate and military ethics. Machiavelli discusses several ideas with relevance to life today, and for the most part his ideas make sense at just about any time and in any country — but they may not be the most popular or ethical choice for many readers.

The Prince as a Guide for Modern Power

Many people have hailed The Prince as a text relevant to modern business and politics. The book tells those in power — executives and politicians alike — how to seize and maintain authority, and how to use evil or cruelty effectively. Machiavelli supports just about any kind of behavior if it maintains power or serves the overall good of those it affects. He writes, "[P]rudence consists in knowing how to recognize the nature of disadvantages and how to choose the least bad as good" (Machiavelli 76). Thus, most executives and politicians can justify committing indiscretions and hostile acts if they choose the "least bad" alternative and it helps them maintain power.

He also advocates cruelty when it serves the user. He writes, "Well used are those cruelties (if it is permitted to speak well of evil) that are carried out in a single stroke, done out of necessity to protect oneself, and are not continued but are instead converted into the greatest possible benefits for the subjects" (Machiavelli 32). All of these ideas may help an executive, corporation, or politician maintain power and influence, but they are not necessarily the most ethical approach to business.

Unfortunately, as the news reports almost every week, corporations and those in power are frequently corrupt and unethical. Consider the Enron scandal, lobbyist Jack Abramoff and the ethics scandal he created in Congress, and the all-too-common hostile takeover of one business by another. Ethics seem far removed from much of modern politics and business, which is precisely why so many people see The Prince as a text for the modern powerful executive. It essentially approves of just about any behavior as long as the company survives — and that is music to many people's ears.

Machiavelli's View of Leadership and Morality

Machiavelli's advice has little to do with "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." He writes as a man of science and logic rather than a man of ethics and morality. Machiavelli felt that a prince or leader stood above others, and was therefore above moral judgment, because his actions were always aimed at maintaining and controlling power for the good of the people and would always be seen as honorable, no matter what. How a ruler maintained power simply did not matter in Machiavelli's eyes. He writes, "Let a prince therefore act to conquer and to maintain the state; his methods will always be judged honourable and will be praised by all; for ordinary people are always deceived by appearances and by the outcome of a thing" (Machiavelli 60).

Today, that is no longer the case. People question ethics and morality, and expect their leaders to act honorably rather than simply maintaining power at the cost of others. The study of ethics as applied to leadership has grown considerably since Machiavelli's era, reflecting a broader societal demand for accountability.

Conclusion

Machiavelli's ideas leave a bad taste to this reader, and ethics and morality seem more important than maintaining ultimate control and power. There is enough evil in the world without condoning evil actions to justify the end.