ABSTRACT
The evolutionary emergence of Machiavellian qualities was presumably due to the successful manipulative techniques that might contribute to their ancestors’ survival and reproductive success. Machiavellianism as a behavioural strategy has often proved beneficial in a complex system of social relationships, and so the underlying psychological mechanisms have been maintained over time and continue to influence people’s lives. In the light of the Machiavellian intelligence hypothesis, successful deception and exploitation of rivals exerted selection pressure on the development of an increasingly more complex social intelligence. The evolution of their social and cognitive abilities was primarily driven by the selection pressure on efficiently managed exploitation of cooperative partners. Such exploitation, however, has a limit in an evolutionary sense: others’ losses may not reach an extent that would endanger group cohesion. Since disintegration of the group would also harm their self-interest, they do not deceit and lie at any price but permanently evaluate the cost and benefit of the manipulative act. Certain selectionary mechanisms would be responsible for developing the cognitive and social skills underlying manipulation. Arms race and frequency-dependent selection might have resulted in accelerating development of several cognitive abilities and led to the emergence of a form of manipulative flexibility.
