This post reminds me of the book, The Elephant in the Brain by Kevin Simler and Robin Hansen. Signaling theory explains much behavior in terms of competition for in-group status, rather than its direct effects.
I don't doubt that many activists have self-interested motives, but what about activists who throw themselves in harm's way for the sake of the cause, such as protestors in the American civil rights movement or in the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong? I would think that an activist risking life and limb is evidence that they're altruistically motivated, since such actions (obviously) run counter to self-interest.
This post reminds me of the book, The Elephant in the Brain by Kevin Simler and Robin Hansen. Signaling theory explains much behavior in terms of competition for in-group status, rather than its direct effects.
I don't doubt that many activists have self-interested motives, but what about activists who throw themselves in harm's way for the sake of the cause, such as protestors in the American civil rights movement or in the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong? I would think that an activist risking life and limb is evidence that they're altruistically motivated, since such actions (obviously) run counter to self-interest.
Does this apply to your activism regarding veganism or political libertarianism?