Machiavellian Intelligence (
Political Intelligence or
Social Intelligence), as part of
cognitive science and
evolutionary psychology, refers to the capacity of an entity in successful
political engagement with
social groups. The term refers to
Niccolo Machiavelli's
The Prince (
1513), and refers to the hypothesis that the techniques which lead to certain kinds of
political success[?] within large
social groups[?] are also applicable within smaller groups, even within the
family-unit. The term
"everyday politics[?]" was later introduced in reference to these various
methods. These arguments are based on research by primatologists such as
Nicholas Humphrey[?] (
1975).
Such behaviors include:
The capacity of non-humans to lie, blame, misdirect and mislead was demonstrated by orang-utans and gorillas during the 1980s and 1990s.
Some theorists believe that autistic people lack Machiavellian intelligence. One hypothesis is that they lack a "theory of mind[?]" which is necessary for both cooperation and deceit.
See also: