# 30. Ritualism ## 30.5. Methodology/Refinements/Sub-species ### 30.5.1. Magico-religious rituals These are often assumed to be limited to primitive societies and the religious community. They certainly appear to have no place in modern government or management. The use of magico-religious rituals in the manipulation of the masses has it's origins in prehistoric times. The Romans knew all about the potency of the technique, as demonstrated in the widespread building of temples in every imperial outpost. There's no doubt religion has underpinned civil jurisdiction, excused or participated in the widespread oppression of the masses in western society. In Europe, the church was omnipresent in daily life until very recently. Machiavelli, that great theorist of manipulative government, although an anti-cleric, believed that the citizen should be encouraged to "occupy himself enthusiastically with religion". Machiavelli knew quite well that the tenets of Christianity would certainly contribute to keeping the masses pliable, because a civil government could always appeal to the divinity of their right to rule, or to the moral codes underlying civil law. Marx and others demolished the myth of religion's role and it's rituals a century ago, but we still, have Kings and Queens who are heads of the state religion, some Western civil states still swear-in their presidents and prime ministers on the bible, and so we cannot dismiss the role of these rituals completely. **In Business Management?** In the context of the modern commercial world, respect for the magico-religious ritual has to some extend been replaced by a kind of "civil" religion, which surfaces as an underlying respect for a broad code of social order, based on conventional religious morality. You shouldn't steal from your employer, you should be honourable to your employer, and you should cooperate with your colleagues, etc. So, religious morality is definitely not entirely irrelevant in modern commercial management. It is not beyond reason that someone wishing to manipulate a victim may make reference to the tenets of Christian or other religious beliefs held by a victim, in a rhetorical way. The role of organisations like the Free Masons or Scientology in business is well known. The usefulness of membership of other secret societies like Opus Dei in business is legendary. These groups have highly ritualised systems for initiation of new members and identifying each other in public. They use some very strange and antique-looking ritualism in the routine operations of their "brotherhoods". They use their network to assist other members in their business interests, and use their business interests to assist their organisation. A lot has already been written on the subject of these organisations, but suffice it to say that when considering manipulation in commerce, religion often turns up to be the joker in the pack of an astute manipulative manager or chief executive. ***Parent:** [[Ritualism]]*