On Rousseau’s “Preface to Narcissus”

What does Rousseau mean when he writes that “a taste for letters, philosophy, and the fine arts softens bodies and souls?” (Paragraph 23)

His initial argument, as laid out in the First Discourse, responds to the question of whether or not the restoration of the arts and sciences has contributed to the purification of our morals. After showing that our morals are not purified, Rousseau then responds to the new topic he has created: “the necessary influence of the pursuit of the sciences on the morals of peoples under any circumstances,” which he then proves through multiple arguments, one of which is that letters, fine arts, and philosophy soften bodies and souls.

Rousseau writes that “work in the study” weakens temperaments and makes men frail, but in his Preface to “Narcissus,” he fails to explain how this weakening occurs. He seems to say that the weakening is both physical and mental, but he does not identify the mechanism of the weakening. What exactly does study do that weakens man? The physical aspect of the argument is strong, it seems obvious that a man who stays seated and inactive while studying will weaken physically, “wear[ing] out the machine.” But how does this work mentally? In this section of Preface to “Narcissus,” Rousseau does not mention the way(s) that studying might weaken the mind, and I believe that his argument here could have benefitted from the inclusion of an idea found later in this piece. Perhaps this is where Rousseau should have mentioned part of his conclusion that only a select few scholars, like Socrates, ever have been and ever will be capable of studying correctly, because only they can resist the folly of vanities. This would have explained more fully Rousseau’s idea that studying, generally considered a practice that strengthens the mind, could be actually be a force that weakens man’s mind.

I’m back!

My apologies for not posting in over a year… but, I’m back and ready for more philosophy! My next series of posts will contain my thoughts and analysis of some Enlightenment philosophers. I hope you find them interesting and thought-provoking! As always, feel free to comment with any ideas. Happy Reading!

Descartes’ Attempt to Prove God’s Existence

I think Descartes succeeds at proving the existence of God inside his own mind, but not elsewhere. His proof in the 5^th Meditation goes: He can’t think of god except as existing, it follows that existence is inseparable from God, so therefore God really exists. His definition of God includes perfection, so he then says that something must exist in order to be perfect, and therefore God exists. My problem with this is that Descartes is trying to prove physical, corporeal existence from an idea that exists only in his head. In his first argument, he says he can’t think of God except as existing, meaning that his argument begins in his head. He then says that existence is a property of God (triangle analogy), therefore God must exist. This is where I think his argument falls apart. If you accept his logic for God’s existence, which I don’t, but if you do, he has done nothing more than prove that God exists inside his head. How does God escape the box of Descartes’ head? There is a difference between existence of an idea and existence as an idea. Descartes has only proven God’s existence as an idea. Descartes might object by saying that existence is built into the idea of perfection, and God is perfect, therefore he exists. But that still requires you to accept that God is perfect. Also, he never says how corporeal existence comes to be from perfection.

I’m not buying it. Are you?

Brands We Love and Brands We Hate

What’s at the top of your list?

I asked ten people what their favorite brand was, and 8 of those responses were the same: Apple.

Can you guess what their least favorite brand was?

It’s big, crowded, industrial, and cheap. “Save money, live better.”

You got it, Walmart.

But, why?

Why do people insist on iPhones and MacBooks? Why is America’s superstore the one we love to hate?

When I asked people why they liked Apple, their answers were mostly the same: Apple is easier, their products are innovative, and they have good design concepts.

I asked why people hate Walmart:

“It’s crowded.”

“Tacky.”

“Bad for the environment.”

“They have a monopoly and don’t give smaller businesses a chance.”

These responses, unlike Apple’s are widespread and do not concern just one topic. People liked Apple because they created a good product that was easy to use, but they disliked Walmart for a variety of reasons, ranging from the structure of the store itself to its business policies. But never once did they mention the products.

From the answers I received, it seems like what people hate about a store is determined by how they think the business is run. I was surprised by the speed with which these people expressed their disgust for a brand, so I decided to employ the Hellenistic philosophy of skepticism to see if I could find some good in the condemned Walmart.

I’m Skeptical

Skepticism can be defined as the pursuit of freedom by withholding assent, which basically means that you can be happy if you don’t commit to anything as a fact. The Skeptics were known for suspending judgment in the face of equal but opposite arguments. The catchphrase of a skeptic is something like: “it seems to be that…” which really proves their reluctance to say that anything is a fact.

What if Walmart isn’t as terrible as everyone thinks? Did you know that Walmart is actually responsible for a large environmentally friendly movement? According to environmentalleader.com, Walmart has a strong green program that it has forced many of its suppliers to comply with. For example, Walmart controls about 40% of Clorox Bleach sales in the US, so when Walmart requested that Clorox use only recycled packaging, they didn’t really have a choice. This practice is called strong-arming, and it is one that Walmart has used consistently to further it’s green agenda.

On the flip side, Apple may not be as wonderful as it seems. In a recent problem with its supply chain, managers in a Chinese factory that makes pieces of Apple products were forced to install suicide nets because unhappy employees had been throwing themselves off of the balconies. The scandal hasn’t seemed to affect Apple’s bottom line, but I attribute this to the fact that not many consumers are aware of the situation.

Suicides of Chinese employees force Apple to install suicide nets on buildings.

Like a true skeptic, I’m not going to say whether these brands are good or bad, I just wanted to show a different side of each one.

The lesson we can take from this: Don’t be so quick to judge. In the skeptical phrasing: it seems to me that the brands we love may soon become the brands we hate.

Top 5 Business Philosophies

First of all, let’s be clear. Philosophy in business is different from philosophy of business. Philosophy in business is what most of my other blog posts are about: applying a philosophical principle to an aspect of the corporate world. Philosophy of business is something personal, it is how a certain person idealizes success in the business world.

Here are my top 5 people with interesting business philosophies. Some of them might surprise you:

5. “Keep Going.” – Martha Stewart

Cliché, yes, but not without merit, especially for Martha Stewart. Of all the celebrities that have fielded scandals, Martha Stewart has most definitely kept going. Her business philosophy echoes the cries of her devoted housewives across America, the ones who persist even when they are frazzled and exhausted. Stewart insists that she has never hit bottom, just bumps in the road, and she remains the steadfast face of her home and gardening brand.

Stewart’s brand is tied to both her name and her persistence.

 4. “If you don’t tell people about your success, they probably won’t know about it.” – Donald Trump

Although that might be true, it does seem a bit obnoxious. Who am I kidding? This is Donald Trump, of course he’s obnoxious. Obnoxious but successful, and it’s true that he does publicize his success by putting his name on everything. Trump Tower, Trump World Tower, Trump International Hotel, you get the picture. Much of Donald Trump’s fame rides on his presence in tabloids and on reality television, and he stays true to his business model by making sure that everyone knows his name.

Donald Trump has made a name for himself in business.

3. “Agree amongst the firm for the future.” – Ginni Rometty

Some mighty words from the woman at the top of Fortune’s ‘50 Most Powerful Women in Business.’ As CEO of IBM, Virginia Rometty recognizes the immense talent and dedication she has at her disposal, but she says that those things are not enough to support the success of such a large company. Instead, Rometty emphasizes a decision making process that involves many people from all levels of the company. She also ensures that every one of those decisions is part of a plan for the future of IBM.

Rometty leads her team at IBM.

2. “Move fast and break things.” – Mark Zuckerberg

What? Break things? That sounds dangerous. Moving fast, I understand. In an arena as fast-paced and manic as social media, keeping up isn’t good enough. You always have to be ahead of the times, ahead of the trends, and ahead of the technology. As Facebook grows, a sense of urgency within employees is imperative to ensure that substantial progress occurs quickly. As for breaking things, Mark probably means breaking barriers to make room for innovation. He needs to make sure Facebook surpasses the status quo.

Zuckerberg emphasizes speed and innovation in his business.

 1. “Sell dreams, not products.” – Steve Jobs

This is interesting coming from Jobs, who spent a lifetime designing and tweaking his innovative products. But his business philosophy reveals itself in more subtle ways, like in the culture that surrounds an Apple product. When you walk into the Apple store, it is not only about getting an iPhone or the newest MacBook. If you want the latest technology and the fastest processor, you go to Microsoft. You go to Apple for the lifestyle, because they sell you something that will help you achieve your dreams.

Jobs’ business philosophy inspires technology leaders.

What are some business philosophies that inspire you? Comment below!

Epicureanism v. Utilitarianism: Finding a Balance

We’ve all heard the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

But what about the people who don’t think that way? The ones who are only out to make money for themselves, or the ones who take what they think they deserve without considering the repercussions? Those people aren’t generally the ones I’d want to associate with, but they don’t seem to pose a huge threat to the wellbeing of society. They might burn a few bridges trying to get ahead, but not too many people really get hurt.

But what if those people are the CEOs and CFOs of Fortune’s Top 500? What if that person is the next Bernard Ebbers of WorldCom or Kenneth Lay of Enron?

Bernard Ebbers’ Mugshot

We all saw the extent of corporate greed in the financial scandals of the early 2000s. Global Crossing, Arthur Andersen, Tyco International, you name it, it was corrupt. Interestingly enough, none of these corporations had a chief communications officer at the time of their scandal.

The job of a corporate communication team is to figure out a working balance between epicureanism and utilitarianism. In other words, how can a company best serve its own interests as well as those of its stakeholders?

Opposite Philosophies

Epicurus was a Greek philosopher who founded the Epicurean school of thought. He believed that the purpose of philosophy was to reach a state of pure happiness, free from fear and outside pressures. In his fragmented works, Epicurus stressed the importance of satisfying an individual, namely yourself, before worrying about the needs of others.

Unlike epicureanism, utilitarianism emphasizes a course of action that will bring the greatest good to the largest number of people. It was created in the 18^th century by British philosopher Jeremy Bentham, and puts the good of the whole society above the needs of any individual person.

Epicurean v. Utilitarian Tendencies

Which of these two philosophies a CEO or CFO leans toward can drastically affect an organization’s reputation.

In the case of Enron, Kenneth Lay and other C-suite executives used loopholes in their accounting system to embezzle millions of dollars. Those employees demonstrated a distinctly epicurean mindset because they put their own greed above the interests of other employees and all the company’s stakeholders.

The Target Corporation is a good example of a company with a utilitarian mindset. Target has multiple corporate social responsibility programs that are committed to raising money for education and providing food for underprivileged children. Target has proven itself a utilitarian by being concerned with the greatest good for a large amount of people.

Moving Forward

Both of these philosophies have their pros and cons. It is important not to get too lost in the needs of the stakeholders, as an organization might while serving the utilitarian cause. But on the other hand, too much focus on a company’s own needs may harm that organization’s reputation for social responsibility. The key is finding a balance, and that balance is the job of a corporate communication team.

So to all you businesses out there without a Vice President of Communications, be warned! You wouldn’t want to be the next Enron, would you?

Kenneth Lay’s Mugshot

How Long Have Brands Dictated Your Lifestyle?

Overheard at the gym:

“Oh my gosh, are those Lululemon pants? I love Lululemon! It’s the only thing I wear when I work out!”

Overheard in the dining hall:

“F*** PC’s, man. Mac is the only way to go.”

Overheard on Boston’s Commonwealth Ave:

“Yeah, I only wear Hunter boots. They look good and all my friends have them.”

Branding Yourself

When did brands become such an integral part of our every day lives? What makes a person so quick to show loyalty to one product and dismiss all the others?

Brand loyalty is of course a goal of every company, but another marketing tactic has become more and more pervasive.

The atmosphere surrounding branding does not only pertain to a certain product, but how that product makes the customer part of that brand’s culture. Corporations are marketing lifestyles, and customers are buying into them.

Living “the sweat life”

Consider Lululemon Athletica: It is the brand of choice for all the skinny, toned, athletic women in the gym. You can’t walk five feet without seeing the telltale red and white squiggle. What started out as a Canadian shop for yoga apparel has quickly turned into a multi-million dollar industry for those who live “the sweat life.”

People’s extreme dedication to certain brands reminds me almost of religious practices. You know, like Judaism and Islam that suggest certain lifestyle choices?

Don’t want to take it that far? Let’s consider a less controversial example.

 A Way of Life

Did you know that the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras had dedicated followers? They were divided into two schools: the akousmatikoi and the mathematikoi. The mathematikoi were focused on learning and discovery; they believed you must start with numbers in order to understand the world. The akousmatikoi focused on certain numerical rituals that they developed into a way of life. They had some strange practices, like not eating beans and avoiding white roosters, but they were dedicated to a certain lifestyle.

Maybe all of the red and white squiggles have made me crazy, but it seems like in today’s world, people are almost as dedicated to their brand choices as the akousmatikoi were to following the words of their leader Pythagoras.

How To Create a Company Philosophy

What do you think of when you hear ‘company philosophy’? If you’re like me, you imagine a bunch of stuffy old men in suits trying to reassure the public that they won’t be cheated out of their life savings.

In reality, a philosophy is an integral part of any company, small or large. It is a company’s mission statement put into practice. A mission statement is usually a short  sentence about the reason the company exists. A company philosophy is the explanation of how the mission statement is carried out.  It is the verbal expression of a company’s culture, and the two should be developed alongside one another.

According to David Ulrich of the University of Michigan, a company’s philosophy is “how we work,” the mission statement is “why we work,” and those two components constantly try to position the company’s identity in the minds of internal and external audiences.

So to summarize:

Mission Statement: What is the purpose of this company?

Philosophy: How do we integrate our company’s purpose with our vision of its culture?

Let’s look at Google as an example:

Google’s mission statement is: “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” It clearly states the company’s purpose and establishes their ultimate goal.

Google’s philosophy includes ‘great just isn’t good enough’ and ‘you can be serious without a suit.’ Their philosophy combines company values with a casual culture. It demonstrates that Google values dedication and improvement as well as an informal atmosphere.

So now that you know something about what a company philosophy is, how do you go about creating one? I have broken the process down into 5 easy steps:

Pick a word

Think of a word that really represents your company. Not the product name, and not something too general either. Preferably a descriptive word with a positive connotation.

Brainstorm for the future

Now brainstorm about what you really want your company to be. Laid-back or very professional? Flashy or subdued? What is your management style? What will set you apart?

Create Maxims

Come up with a few catchphrases or slogans that incorporate some of the descriptors you brainstormed. These short statements should be formatted so that they are easy to follow. Make sure they are consistent with the image you want your company to put forward. That is your company philosophy!

Distribute the Philosophy

Distribute your company philosophy to all employees. This philosophy should be a point of reference for all employees who are asked to describe your company, so be sure everyone knows and understands it.

Practice what you preach

Because your philosophy is developing alongside the company’s culture, you should hire people that fit the image you are trying to push forward. Be sure that those people share your vision for your company’s future, because they will represent you as your company grows.

Good luck! Comment on this post with the philosophies you created!  

PR and Philosophy: How are they related?

What is Philosophy?

Philosophy is more than just the reason that hipsters go to college.

Philosophy is the ever-changing and multifaceted answer to life’s biggest questions.

Philosophy starts with these questions and distills many trains of thought into a few meaningful words. It is is an open forum that connects ideas with other ideas and spreads messages about the world as it is and how it came to be this way.

 

How Does Philosophy Apply to PR?

These same concepts are found on a smaller scale in the field of professional public relations. You replace the initial question in philosophy with an organization, and the public relations department in an organization condenses demographic research and stakeholder opinions into an appropriate communication strategy. Public relations incorporates the opinions of an organization’s various stakeholders, just as philosophy incorporates the theories and postulations of many philosophers throughout time. Philosophy builds on the thoughts of previous philosophers, and similarly, public relations campaigns learn from the successes and failures of the preceding campaign efforts.

The application of philosophy to public relations combines two seemingly unrelated fields and may result in better communication strategy when explored further.

The Ancients

Ancient philosophers were focused on finding an arche, or common principle, that would both connect and explain the universe. Thales said it was water, Anaximenes chose air, and Heraclitus named fire. They chose basic elements, recognizable features of the natural world they observed. For the ancient philosophers, the earth was made of just one material, and each had his own opinion as to what it was.

So what would this sort of basic element be for PR? I brainstormed: ethical behavior, dissemination, integrity, reliability, outreach, and messages.

It’s true, ethical behavior is imperative in a public relations setting, but it is impossible to enforce. Each person will or will not be ethical because of a personal choice, not because a certain public relations society suggests it. I eliminated ethical behavior from my list of contenders.

Dissemination of messages and outreach are also vital to the function of public relations, but they are more like tasks than core elements of PR. Reliability and integrity were much closer to what I was looking for. Reliability meant that PR people had dependable moral compasses, and integrity would characterize public relations professionals well. Both were good choices, but they had a more basic common denominator: trust.

Trust

Everyone in this business has to trust someone; the corporations must trust the agencies to produce the desired results and disseminate a positive message. The agencies must trust the organizations to provide accurate and complete information, and the public must trust both corporations and PR agencies to communicate honestly.

In recent years, public relations has been perceived as unethical and untrustworthy, something I think the PR industry must work hard to reverse. If, as I have discussed, trust is the fundamental principle of any relationship in public relations, then it is imperative that PR practitioners reestablish our industry as transparent and honest so we can continue to flourish as a professional field.