Primate Politics and the Cognitive Profile of a Proto-fascist Leader

Abstract: In this paper I will construct the likely cognitive profile of right-wing populist leaders with authoritarian tendencies. I will in order review disparate literatures on human and non-human primate leadership, the psychology of power and corruption, and the cognitive evolution of coalitional and political behaviour. Then, I will select the likely traits and features observed in right-wing populist leaders which can be plausibly traced back to hominin evolutionary history and discuss their application in current politics. I will further connect the resulting profile with current advances in populism scholarship, with the special mention of a certain ‘shamelessness’ and lack of etiquette which right-wing populist leaders employ in their attempt to maximize power for themselves and their coalition. To this end, I propose that such shamelessness has its origin in non-human primate domination dynamics and facilitates the cognitive appeal of right-wing populist leaders among politically disconnected and disgruntled voters. On the grounds of appearing honest by appealing to base intuitions shared by all humans and by dismissing political etiquette, primate populists build up their follower base by providing cognitively attractive content easily transmissible on available media technologies. Finally, I will argue that due to the ancestral hominin motivation for power and prestige, seconded by a lack of concern for institutional checks and balances, a right-wing populist leader, or proto-fascist, will seek to enhance their power if possible up to the point of authoritarianism.