Help yourself by helping others: self‐interest in appeals for Russian famine relief, 1921–23
Journal: Disasters
Year: 2021

The hypothesis of psychological egoism is a commonplace in disciplines like economics, psychology, and biology. As an explanatory model it includes prosocial behaviour such as providing aid for distant strangers. But the inclusion of self-interest in humanitarian appeals can prove difficult because the moral economy of charitable work is regulated by different standards than the liberal market economy. This paper analyses the use of self-interest in appeals for humanitarian aid during the Russia