Was British Cold War Spy and Double Agent Kim Philby a Successful Psychopath? A Psychobiographical Analysis

Abstract

Harold ‘Kim’ Philby (1912–1988) was a British MI6 intelligence officer who became infamous for acting as a double agent for the Soviet Union during the Second World War and the early Cold War period. He has recently been subject to a character analysis by historian Ben Macintyre. The present paper applies psychological science to Macintyre’s evidence, to assess whether Philby could be considered psychopathic and, if so, whether his developmental history can shed light on how this might have come about. A charming, accomplished liar and sensation-seeker, displaying marked callous and manipulative traits, his dedication to the communist cause gave meaning to his life not achievable through close personal relationships. Philby’s case adds to discussion about the little-understood aetiology of psychopathy and supports the suggestion that espionage is a field in which psychopaths who are not antisocial or impulsive can achieve success. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)