Machiavellianism

Noun

Machiavellianism (countable and uncountable, plural Machiavellianisms)

1. The political philosophy of Machiavelli, especially the realist doctrine which emphasizes the maintenance of the state above ethical concerns.
   • "Machiavellianism is a radical type of political realism that is applied to both domestic and international affairs."2010, W. Julian Korab-Karpowicz, Political Realism in International Relations
   • Let us turn, finally, to the war itself, and ask ourselves if it can be understood as the victory of decency over Machiavellianism.2001, Tim Spiekerman, Shakespeare's Political Realism: The English History Plays, SUNY Press, →ISBN, page 54

   Synonyms:

   realpolitik, Machiavellism, raison d'etat, realism

2. (countable) A political maneuver that exemplifies the philosophy. Unsavory government politics.
3. (personality psychology) A psychological construct centered on interpersonal manipulation, lack of empathy, cold affect, and indifference to morality.
   • Machiavellianism refers to interpersonal strategies that advocate self-interest, deception, and manipulation, so it would seem inherently related to core psychopathy and narcissism.2011, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Sophie von Stumm, Adrian Furnham, The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Individual Differences, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN
   • A cluster of dark personality traits named the “dark tetrad” (psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism, sadism) has attracted the interest of researchers studying personality and decision making.2025, David L. Dickinson, “Dark versus light personality types and moral choice”, in European Economic Review, →DOI