Inverse consequentialism, ‘Means justify ends’ in cultural organisations and strategy

Event details

For this week's Research Seminar, please join Milan Todorovic (London Metropolitan University), to hear about their research on the Inverse consequentialism or neo-Machiavellian co-opting: “Means justify ends”, in culture and destructive creativities of a disruptive venture

This notion was first articulated in the author’s 2016 monograph ‘Rethinking strategy for creative industries: Innovation and interaction’. Observing several cultural organisations, including those it was found that one may demonstrate the ‘Machiavellian inversion’ of the misattributed maxim ‘ends justified means’. The examples initially came from cultural events organisations, namely Exit Festival, Foundry and Rheinkultur, all of which formed part of fieldwork dating back to 2008.

Upon closer inspection and exploratory investigation of the thought experiment, it became apparent that a number of other organisational contexts lend themselves to such ‘inverse consequentialism’. As strategy is a pragmatic, goal-oriented phenomenon, then values – in contexts of culture, ethics, compassion, societal benefits – may be utilised as value. This utilitarian turn surpasses the fields of culture and creativity from which the concept emerges. A search for meaning thus becomes a search for competitive advantage construed as meaning. Consequentialism is brought to life in a new guise, that of good intentions at the heart of profit-making.

The ethical argument is rather too complex for this particular investigation, which focuses on its inner logic and intellectual technique, if such a term may be used. The inductive approach may then be adopted to rethink related cultural phenomena.

Can't join the event in person? See the event online instead.

Meeting ID: 967 9721 8269

Passcode: 878342

Join now (online entry)

About the speaker

Dr Milan Todorovic

Rooted in art, science, and creative industry practice, boldly branding himself ‘inherently multidisciplinary’, Milan is an active practitioner in the arts, most of this work remaining intentionally clandestine. His artistic and industry experience dates back to 1989. As an academic, Dr Todorovic has been the Course Leader for multiple Music and Media Industries awards at London Metropolitan University since 2008, including PhD supervision. As an active researcher, he authored the influential 2016 monograph “Rethinking strategy for creative industries: Innovation and interaction” and is working on several projects addressing the transformation of what makes us human in the wake of digital, interactive, and intelligent media. His current work also involves: the ethics and philosophies of CSR and sustainability as culture; strategic management and business model development in the CCI; and the fundamental notions of creativity, human agency, and originality.