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Manichaean Paranoia is the moral certitude that you are leading the forces of good against the empire of evil. It is the idea that your moral superiority justifies you in committing immoral acts. Because you perpetrate these acts on immoral people, you are not morally responsible for the means used, only the ends achieved.

The term has its roots in the ancient Persian religion Manichaeism, which held a highly dualistic view of the world. It split the world into good (or light) and evil (darkness), which are in constant conflict. In Manchaean Paranoia, this combines with a paranoia about the darkness, and the irrational fear that evil is actively out to "get" you, causing you to fight against it or be destroyed by it. This can lead to the justification of "evil" actions in the name of good.

This intense dualism can lead to a moral polarization, where every position can take on either a morally good or morally evil cast, resulting in very little ground for neutrality. Because everything is either morally Good or morally Evil, taking any position other than the Good one can result in defaulting to Evil. It is possible that those who criticize the morally Good are seen as automatically morally evil, while those that pledge loyalty to the morally Good are seen as morally Good no matter the actions they commit. There is a distinct similarity between this dualism and the beliefs of certain Christian fundamentalists, who believe that Satan is an active force of evil in the world, and is present in many human activities and world events. The only way to be saved, according to these fundamentalist beliefs, is to accept, practice, and believe the correct faith. This is consistent with the idea in Manichaean Paranoia that loyalty to the correct ideals makes one morally good (regardless of what one might actually do).

George W. Bush has been accused by Zbigniew Brzezinski of suffering from Manichaean paranoia. Controversial political issues such as The War on Terror, the status of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, the use of torture to obtain information from suspected terrorists, and domestic spying may be considered examples of immoral actions justified by the fact that they are only pursued to stop or against immoral people (generally meaning terrorists or those who help terrorists). Rewarding those loyal to the administration and a great suspicion of criticism can also be seen typical of the intensely dualistic view of good (loyalty) and evil (criticism of what is good). George W Bush is often described as holding loyalty in high esteem, but having very little patience for criticism. Brzeninski's phrase is manifold in irony. Manes, after whom Manichaenism was named, was from what is now Iran. And Manichaeism has been considered a form of heresy from within the historical Christian sensibility. To accuse George W. Bush of this particular kind of paranoia is to both align him with his enemies (Iran in the "axis of evil"), and separate him from his political base (Christian conservatives). The phrase is a rhetorical flourish as much as a description of a mental state.

• Zbigniew Brzezinski on March 14, 2007 interview with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show.
• William F. May, Manichaeism in American Politics, Christianity and Crisis, May 2, 1966
• Manichaeism
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