The Undershaft Maxims

Abstract

IN THE THIRD ACT of Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara, Andrew Undershaft, attempting to bridge the "abyss of moral horror" which Adolphus Cusins claims lies between him and the Undershaft factory, recites the maxims of the previous Undershafts, concluding with his own. Listed separately for more convenient reference, they are: [I] The first Undershaft wrote up in his shop IF GOD GAVE THE HAND, LET NOT MAN WITHHOLD THE SWORD. [II] The second wrote up ALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO FIGHT: NONE HAVE THE RIGHT TO JUDGE. [III] The third wrote up TO MAN THE WEAPON: TO HEAVEN THE VICTORY. [IV] The fourth had no literary turn; so he did not write up anything; but he sold cannons to Napoleon under the nose of George the Third. [V] The fifth wrote up PEACE SHALL NOT PREVAIL SAVE WITH A SWORD IN HER HAND. [VI] The sixth, my master, was the best of all. He wrote up NOTHING IS EVER DONE IN THIS WORLD UNTIL MEN ARE PREPARED TO KILL ONE ANOTHER IF IT IS NOT DONE. [VII] After that, there was nothing left for the seventh to say. So he wrote up, simply, UNASHAMED. Since Undershaft is attempting to convert Cusins and Barbara to his doctrine of realism and power, and since these six maxims and one non-maxim are means to this end, it is remarkable that they have received virtually no attention. In this essay, I will try to demonstrate that these seven principles are not only summaries of the various arguments used by Undershaft in the process of converting Cusins, but also that they are the bases of Cusins' attempt to justify his decision to Barbara. In addition, I would like to suggest what his slogan might be when he becomes the eighth Andrew Undershaft.