The Thomistic Institute Does Marketing Make Us Less Human? – Dr. John-Paul Heil
Nov 28, 2025
Dr. John-Paul Heil, a Core Fellow at Mount St. Mary's University and an expert in marketing and Catholic thought, dives into the complexities of modern marketing. He critiques how manipulative practices undermine human dignity and authentic friendship. Highlighting the AMA's flawed anthropology, he contrasts true friendship with marketing's transactional nature. Heil champions a transparent approach rooted in service and honesty, integrating insights from classical philosophy and contemporary challenges like corporate sustainability.
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Fabricated Grandfather To Demonstrate Simulatio
- Dr. John-Paul Heil opened by admitting he fabricated a personal backstory to illustrate simulatio.
- He used the invented grandfather tale to show how speakers manipulate audiences with feigned humility.
Marketing's Implicit Anthropology Is Deceptive
- Heil argues the AMA's marketing definition presumes an implicit anthropology rooted in deception.
- That implicit view treats humans as manipulable desire-machines rather than beings made for truth.
Drucker Means Knowing Humans First
- Drucker's idea: marketing should make selling unnecessary by matching product to customer.
- Heil notes this presumes marketers must first know what humans fundamentally are and want.
