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by Carlo Fonseka

My friend Professor G. L. Peiris is reported to have told the Organization of Professional Associations recently that the 1994 Manifesto of the People's Alliance was drafted in accordance with the philosophy of Erasmus and not that of Machiavelli. He had declared that a "fundamental departure" from the 1994 Manifesto had taken place and that the PA is now guided by the political philosophy of Machiavelli.

Prof. G. L. P. always commands my respectful attention and my reflex response to his declaration was to look up my copy of Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy. I wanted to ascertain what exactly Erasmus and Machiavelli had propounded by way of political philosophy. From my brief survey, it seems to me that President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga for one, has been either unwilling or unable to practise what Machiavelli had preached Let me elaborate.

Erasmus (1466-1536) and Machiavelli (1467-1527) were philosophers of the Renaissance period in Europe. Concerning Erasmus, Bertrand Russell says that The Praise of Folly is the only book by Erasmus which is still read. According to Russell, Erasmus believed that, "The best happiness is that which is based on delusion, since it costs least: it is easier to imagine oneself a king than to make oneself a king in reality".

I was also dismayed to learn that Erasmus had made fun of professional conceit. In his opinion, "almost all professors of the arts and sciences are egregiously conceited, and derive their happiness from their conceit". (I own up.) BR judges that Erasmus had been a leader of thought before Martin Luther's Protestant revolt, but after that the world had become too violent for the likes of Erasmus.

As a result, Erasmus "sank into ineffectiveness". One hopes that sinking into ineffectiveness is not the inevitable fate of those who swear by Erasmus.

People who know of Niccolo Machieavelli only by hearsay believe that he was nothing but a diabolical, treacherous, hypocritical, immoral villain.

This evil reputation is based on a superficial reading of his book called The Prince published in 1532 five years after his death.

BR says of Machievelli that, "His political philosophy is scientific and empirical, based upon his own experience of affairs, concerned to set forth the means to assigned ends, regardless of the question whether the ends are to be considered good or bad." Machiavelli's end was nothing less than a passionate desire to see his beloved country Italy reunified and rid of hated foreigners. In his time Italy was plagued by internal wars between its constituent states, public feuds, murder, corruption, robbery and the appalling moral degradation of the Roman Catholic Church. Machiavelli believed that the only hope for the salvation of Italy was the emergence of a leader, strong and ruthless enough to force his authority on all and sundry. The Prince provides detailed advice to such a leader. For Machiavelli the end justifies the means.

In a famous passage Machiavelli says: "From this arises the question whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved.

It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both: but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we much choose between them. it is far safer to be feared than loved. For of men it may generally be affirmed that they are thankless, fickle, false, studious to avoid danger, greedy of gain, devoted to you while you are able to confer benefits upon them, and ready, while danger is distant, to shed their blood, and sacrifice their property, their lives, and their children for you; but in the hour of need they turn against you." It is plain for all to see that President CBK has not taken heed of the above advice at all. In her innocence she has sought to be loved rather than feared. This country has seen examples of Presidents who chose to be feared rather than loved and, for that reason, they were, perhaps, more effective rules than President CBK in the short run. In the world of today, leaders who achieve their objectives by inducing terror in people are only too well known. This has provoked a strike against terror on a global scale. For my part, I prefer a President who strives to be loved rather than feared. Once bitten twice shy! Better safe than sorry!

In Chapter XVIII of The Prince, Machiavelli says,: "It is not necessary - for a Prince to have all the conventional virtues; but it is very necessary to seem to have them".

He emphasizes that above all a Prince should seem to be religious. Again President CBK has not bothered to follow this Machiavellian advice.

In the face of such evidence to the contrary, accusing President CBK of Machiavellism must itself be regarded as an exercise in the practise of Machiavellism.

The game plan is clear. Given the dog a bad name and get the LTTE to shoot it! President CBK may not be Machiavellian. But she sure has an unerring and unprecedented instinct for survival.

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