Machiavellianism
For the Philosophyball page, see
Machiavellianism.
"Covenants, without the sword, are but words and of no strength to secure a man at all."
"Thus it is well to seem merciful, faithful, humane, religious, sincere, and also to be so; but you must have the mind so disposed that when it is needful to be otherwise you may be able to change to the opposite qualities."
Machiavellianism, often referred to as (Political) Opportunism or Realism, is a non-quadrant political ideology representing a approach that prioritizes the acquisition and maintenance of power, often through
pragmatic or
self-serving strategies. This approach emphasizes the practical application of political skills and decisions - what could be described as a focus on "political praxis" over ideological consistency or
moral considerations. Notably, Machiavellianism does not strictly adhere to the specific beliefs of
Niccolò Machiavelli himself; rather, it reflects an acknowledgment of the hard realities Machiavelli observed in
politics, including the complex interplay of
power,
strategy, and
human nature. It is also crucial to understand that Machiavellian principles are not limited to a particular type of political or social structure. They can manifest within a broad range of socio-political systems, including
feudal monarchies
,
democratic republics
,
capitalist corporations
,
Marxist-Leninist and
Fascist one-party states
, and even
anarchist communities. This adaptability underscores the
universality of Machiavellian tactics, as they address fundamental, core aspects of political behavior that transcend ideological boundaries and historical periods. In essence, Machiavellianism operates wherever power dynamics are at play, highlighting the timeless and versatile nature of its principles across diverse political landscapes.
History
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, more well known as just Niccolò Machiavelli, was a
Florentine diplomat, writer, and philosopher whose works remain foundational in political theory. Born in 1469 amidst the volatile political dynamics of
Renaissance Florence, Machiavelli’s position as a civil servant and diplomat afforded him unique insights into the
pragmatic nature of governance. His experiences within the political turbulence of
Italy, where shifting alliances and power struggles were common, heavily influenced his views on
leadership and
statecraft. Over time, his observations would crystallize into writings that sharply deviated from the
idealistic traditions of classical political thought, focusing instead on the practical and often harsh realities that rulers face in the pursuit of power and stability.
At the heart of Machiavelli's approach lies a deep engagement with the world as it is, not as it should be. This perspective, which placed a premium on direct observation and the analysis of political events as they unfolded, led him to draw from the lived experiences of past rulers. Rather than theorizing about an abstract ideal of the state or the
virtues of rulers, Machiavelli sought to understand and respond to the complexities of political life as it was actually practiced. This approach was shaped by a growing interest during the Renaissance in
the tangible and the observable, replacing idealized visions of governance with a focus on what could be learned through concrete experience. In this sense, his writings reflect an empirical approach to understanding political power - a shift that emphasized the importance of facts and historical examples over speculative reasoning.
Alongside this, Machiavelli's political theory was marked by a pragmatic orientation that prioritized the effectiveness of rulers' actions over their moral alignment with established norms. While
earlier thinkers
often framed political decisions within a framework of ethical absolutes, Machiavelli’s focus was squarely on the outcomes of those decisions. He recognized that in the volatile political environment of Renaissance Italy, rulers were often compelled to make choices that, while seemingly immoral, were necessary for the survival of the state. This
utilitarian bent -
one concerned more with results than principles - suggests an outlook that was less concerned with whether actions adhered to traditional ethical standards, and more focused on their ability to secure power and maintain stability. The emphasis on consequences over intentions reflects an understanding of
politics not as a moral enterprise, but as a strategic game, where the end often justifies the means.
This emphasis on the practical and outcome-driven nature of politics also intersects with a view of human nature that leans toward the assumption that individuals act primarily out of self-interest and are
shaped by the conditions around them. Machiavelli’s political advice was informed by a view that
human beings, and by extension, rulers, are largely driven by personal ambition, fear, and desire for power. This realistic appraisal of human nature - viewing people as subjects of their environment rather than moral agents governed by an internal compass - made Machiavelli particularly attentive to the contingencies that might shape political outcomes. His counsel to rulers, urging them to be
flexible
,
ruthless
when necessary, and always attentive to the changing nature of power, mirrors a conception of leadership rooted in the understanding that individuals and states are not fixed entities but are instead shaped by external forces and circumstances.
Simultaneously, Machiavelli’s work also stands apart in its embrace of secular authority, reflecting the broader intellectual currents of the Renaissance. Rejecting the medieval view that
divine authority should play a central role in governance, Machiavelli's works present political authority as something that arises from
human action and reason, not divine mandate. This secular approach allowed him to conceive of politics as a realm where human agency, rather than divine intervention, is paramount. For Machiavelli, the ruler’s ability to manipulate, control, and adapt to changing circumstances was the key to maintaining power, a view that was grounded not in
metaphysical or
theological arguments, but in
practical, human-driven realities. In this regard, Machiavelli's writings echo a broader Renaissance shift away from religious explanations of political life, focusing instead on the power of human ingenuity and decision-making.
In synthesizing these various strands, Machiavelli constructed a distinctive political philosophy that remained firmly grounded in reality. His focus on empirical observation and
historical analysis led him to a pragmatic understanding of
power dynamics while his strategic outlook placed emphasis on
outcomes rather than on
ideals. The secular, human-centered lens through which he viewed governance allowed him to approach politics as a realm for human actors, subject to the demands of necessity and circumstance. This confluence of intellectual traditions culminated in a body of work that, while shaped by the currents of Renaissance thought, departed from them in significant ways.
Foundations
Machiavellians are not consistent ideologically. They seek to achieve a goal and get the necessary power to do it.
After his exile from political life in 1512, Machiavelli took to a life of writing, which led to the publishing of his most famous work, The Prince. The book would become infamous for its recommendations for absolute rulers to be ready to act in unscrupulous ways, such as resorting to
fraud and treachery,
elimination of political opponents, and
the usage of fear as a means of controlling subjects. Machiavelli's view that acquiring a state and maintaining it may require evil yet necessary means has been noted as the chief theme of the treatise. For many, he has become infamous for this advice, so much so that the adjective Machiavellian would later on describe a type of politics that is "marked by cunning, duplicity, or bad faith".
While Machiavelli has become widely popular for his work on principalities, his other major work, The Discourses on Livy, focused mainly on republican statecraft, and his recommendations for a well ordered republic. Machiavelli noted how free republics have power structures that are better than principalities. He also notes how advantageous a government by a republic could be as opposed to just a single ruler. However, Machiavelli's more controversial statements on politics can also be found even in his other works. For example, Machiavelli notes that sometimes extraordinary means, such as violence, can be used in re-ordering a corrupt city. In one area, he praises Romulus, who murdered his brother and co-ruler in order to have power by himself to found the city of Rome. In a few passages he sometimes explicitly acts as an advisor of tyrants as well.
Some scholars have even asserted that the goal of his ideal republic does not differ greatly from his principality, as both rely on rather ruthless measures for aggrandizement and empire.
In one passage of The Prince, Machiavelli subverts the advice given by Cicero to avoid duplicity and violence, by saying that the prince should "be the fox to avoid the snares, and a lion to overwhelm the wolves". It would become one of Machiavelli's most notable statements.
Because cruelty and deception play such important roles in his politics, it is not unusual for related issues—such as murder and betrayal—to rear their heads with regularity.
Machiavelli's own concept of virtue, which he calls "virtù", is original and is usually seen by scholars as different from the traditional viewpoints of other political philosophers. Virtú can consist of any quality at the moment that helps a ruler maintain his state, even being ready to engage in necessary evil when it is advantageous.
Due to the treatise's controversial analysis on politics, in 1559, the Catholic Church banned The Prince, putting it on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum.
Machiavelli criticized and rejected what he believed to be a perversion of Christian thought as he viewed that they celebrated humility and otherworldly things, and thus it made the Italians of his day "weak and effeminate". While Machiavelli's own religious allegiance has been debated, it is assumed that he had a low regard of contemporary Christianity.
Variants
Pragmatism
WIP
Realism
WIP
George F. Kennan Doctrine
WIP
Zhou Enlai Thought
WIP
Tarcisio de Freitas
WIP
Personality
Machiavellianism is very much... Machiavellian in his behavior. Generally very manipulative and self-serving, with a realistic and pragmatic approach.
How to Draw
Machiavellianism's design is based on the Machiavelli Coat of Arms.
- Draw a ball with eyes.
- In Blue Draw a Cross on the ball.
- Draw 4 needles pointing at the center of the cross.
And you're done!
Color Name | HEX | RGB | |
---|---|---|---|
Blue | #0000FF | rgb(0, 0, 255) | |
White | #FFFFFF | rgb(255, 255, 255) |
Relationships
REALISM GANG
Oligarchy - Nobody rules alone.
Illuminatism - My beloved student, and an absolute prodigy. Real power, is secret power.
Noocracy - Knowledge is wisdom.
Ingsoc - Power is an end, not a means.
Police Statism - How I easily maintain power.
Stratocracy - Another key of power, which is actually more important than the previous one.
Mediacracy - Good for keeping power.
Roman Republicanism - Machiavelli loved you.
Bismarckism - It has been a while, my old friend. What a shame Kaiser Wilhelm let his juvenile ambition ruin what you achieved.
Kemalism - "If we write doctrine, we freeze and stay where we are."
Progressive Conservatism and
Radical Centrism - I like how you counteract those annoying ideologues.
Dengism - It does not matter whether the cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice.
Such a shame Xi became dogmatically culturally conservative and attracted an even more dogmatic crowd of fans.Lee Kuan Yew Thought and
Park Chung Hee Thought - Great followers of mine! Thanks to their adherence to my
nonexistentideals, they became the renowned saviors of their respective nations that they are.Fascism - Your adaptability in changing your principles to gain power and putting power over doctrine are very good strategies.
Masks
Monarchism and
Republicanism - Depending on the situation, as long as you work for and benefit me, you'll be fine.
But Machiavelli liked the latter more.Populism - A broad-front appeal is a good way to get into power. I don't have to live up to my promises, though.
Third Way - Theory should appeal to all sides of the population, for the West you are perfect today.
Leninism - They call you
"Red Machiavelli" for a very good reason, my student. Still, way too idealistic.
Frankfurt School - Good that you oppose the dogmatic positivism inherent to Marxism and that you take from many different philosophers. However you are still kinda idealist and dogmatically anti-fascist.
Constitutionalism - "Hi, I'm Saul Goodman. Did you know that you have rights? The constitution says you do. And so do I."
Liberal Socialism - You're extremely romantic and idealistic, yet you simultaneously like me and are highly pragmatic?... Alright.
Semi-Realist Frenemies
Maoism - I love your way of diplomacy, but your internal policy was a horrific combination of pathetic idealism, prideful ignorance and sheer incompetence, and as a result you destroyed your own country, TWICE. You also hated and persecuted
Deng, even though it was him who tried and fixed your terrible policies.
Zhou Enlai, however, was ultrabased, and did his best to keep China from collapsing in on itself.
Stalinism - You were kinda based when you reconciled with the church during World War Two and when you made agreements with capitalist corporations when you were industrializing your country, but your dogmatic policy of collectivization just ruined all of the agriculture. I still prefer Bukharin.
Neoconservatism - Good on you for advancing your interests regardless of who you need to support or be against, but stop it with the whole "international good guy" bullshit.
Kleptocracy - While I did say a prince should know how to do evil, the premise is "As far as he can, a prince should follow the path of good".
Kraterocracy - You're very ambitious, but you must learn to avoid the mistake of strength without mercy.
Aristocracy - Your problem, my "good" prince, is exactly the opposite of the former.
Anarcho-Egoism - You are pragmatic because you care only about your personal gain, but citizens of the state are not required to reject morality, only the leadership.
Anarcho-Nihilism - Morals and other traditional beliefs are to be discarded as a guide to realpolitik, but be less passive and more ambitious.
Putinism - You were way better in the past when you had good relations with the West. Sadly, your ideological dogma and war in Ukraine shattered that. Stop associating with
him and our old relationship can be rekindled. However, your policy in the Middle East is commendable, as you work with both the Zionists and anti-Zionists at the same time.
Islamic Theocracy - I really like some of you doing taqiyyah, and using
them as a recruitment tactic is cool, but you are still a filthy dogmatic theocrat.
Hydrarchy -
THE DREAMS OF PIRATES... WILL NEVER END!Depends. Sometimes I can hire him to do my dirty work as a privateer, which moralists fear to do. Sometimes he's just a criminal who wants to steal my stuff.Tf2 Soldier - This... is a bucket.
ANTI-REALIST FREAKS
Satirism - STOP MOCKING ME!
Anti-Realism - Psycho who wants to light me on fire.
Ochlocracy - "For the mob is always impressed by appearances and by results, and the world is composed of the mob."
Italian Left Communism - This is pure dogma and no praxis at all.
Marxism-Leninism-Maoism,
Maoism–Third Worldism and
Pol Potism - Maoism has just lost all of its redeeming qualities and jumped into the pit of pure idealism.
Hoxhaism - Another dogmatic ML who called anyone even slightly to the right of him a "revisionist".
Utopian Socialism - Utopian mentality can be dangerous, even self-destructive.
Trotskyism - "Permanent Worldwide Revolution" sounds like a dogmatic nightmare that luckily won't ever come true.
Theocrats - You force your dogma on everyone.
State Atheism - You too buddy. You're literally the same as the above, just trying to fight dogma with dogma.
Nazism - As
my German friend has already said, you are waaay too idealist to be of any value.
Neoluddism - Why won't you work for me? I can help with your extreme environmental concerns by dealing with industrialists to eventually curb all harm to animals and to the environment. But no! You keep using your dogma to kill others just because they support development! You should be ashamed of yourself!
Soulism - Quit your weed-induced ideology of pure idealism and come back to reality for once.
Chamberlainism - I repeat what I have already said, namely that you should never let yourself be driven off-course by your desire to avoid a war because in such a case you won’t avoid it but will merely postpone it to your disadvantage.
Kakistocracy - Either a useful idiot at best or an obstacle to proper governance at worst.
Arsonism - "One shudders to imagine what inhuman thoughts lie behind that mask. What dreams of chronic and sustained cruelty?"Lepperism - Come on, take a delicious bribe! You forgot we had a Coalition along with
him?
Further Information
Literature
- The Prince by
Niccolo Machiavelli | Audiobook
- The Dictators Handbook: Why Bad Behaviour is Almost Always Good Politics by
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita
- The Logic of Political Survival by
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita
- The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom by
James Burnham
- Machiavelli and Us by
Louis Althusser
- Three Turning Points in Political Thought 2: Machiavelli by
Isaiah Berlin
- The 48 Laws of Power by
Robert Green
- Discourses of Livy by
Niccolo Machiavelli
Wikipedia
Machiavellianism (Politics)
Realism (International Relations)
Machiavellian Intelligence
- Political Opportunism
Realpolitik
Pragmatism
Machiavellianism (Psychology)
Machiavellianism in the Workplace
- Éminence grise
Videos
- What “Machiavellian” really means - Pazit Cahlon and Alex Gendler by Ted-Ed
- POLITICAL THEORY - Niccolò Machiavelli by The School of Life
- The Rules for Rulers by
CGP Grey
- Death & Dynasties by
CGP Grey
- The Fox of Florence | The Life & Times of Machiavelli (ft. Blue from OSP) by Jack Rackam
- Politics Isn't About Right or Wrong; It's About Winning by
Jreg
- A Critique of Realism by
Kraut
- Henry Kissinger, The Last Diplomat by Sarcasmitron
Online Communities
Notes
- ↑ He said that Trump helped Ukraine more than Obama and advocates for conservative America.
Citations
- ↑ https://jacobin.com/2021/12/democracy-populism-oligarchy-republicanism-left-right
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clear_Skies_Act_of_2003#Criticisms_in_opposition
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Brazil_wildfires
- ↑ https://revistaoeste.com/politica/bolsonaro-revela-que-empresas-da-franca-compram-madeira-ilegal-do-brasil/
- ↑ In December 1793, Sade was arrested and charged with "moderatism", associating with counter-revolutionaries, anti-republicanism and "feigned patriotism"
- ↑ https://www.gazetadopovo.com.br/republica/centrao-o-que-e-partidos/
- ↑ https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/brasil-36771079
- ↑ Referring to liberal internationalism
- ↑ In fact, Vlasov had nothing to do with the White Movement, since in the civil war in Russia he fought on the side of the Bolsheviks.
- ↑ The Prince, the Discourses on Livy (composed c. 1517) have been said to have paved the way for modern republicanism. It has also significantly influenced authors who have attempted to revive classical republicanism.
- ↑ Putin initially attempted good relations and cooperation with NATO and EU and sided with the US during the War on Terror. He also praises Solzhenitsyn, the White Movement, and Stalin while denouncing Lenin and the Russian Revolution to get support from both the left and right at the same time.
- ↑ MBS is de-radicalizing Saudi Arabia and has ended funding for wahhabist organizations abroad and tries to balance relations with the US, Russia, China, and Israel. He has recently attempted to make peace with both Syria and Iran.
- ↑ Rinny uses her adorable and trustworthy look as a façade to get Malinos tortured for her pleasure.