Teach Your Children

0 Comments | Insight on the News, Dec 21, 1998

A pink and blue book with some delightful watercolor illustrations recently came across for the people's desk. In many ways, it appears an ordinary children's book in the manner of Willie's Pockets. Treating it as such would be a mistake, for this book, which well-known New York artist Claudia Hart wrote and illustrated, is called A Child's Machiavelli.

Loosely following the outlines of the famous Florentine's book The Prince -- which some scholars credit with having invented the study of political science -- this power primer for children dispenses Nicolo Machiavelli's ruthless advice in casual kidspeak. In a typical nugget, Hart advises, "If you're not a Boss but you wanna be one, make sure you trick everyone into thinking you're a really generous guy." Many of the book's illustrations seem intended to evoke Antoine Saint-Eseupery's high-school French-class classic The Little Prince.

In accordance with Machiavelli's "ends justify the means" philosophy, the book advises dishonesty, sexual manipulation and casual "use" of friends as a way of gaining and keeping political power. It is completely immoral -- and very much in keeping with what some parents say is a tendency for children to act like little Machiavellis.