The Justice of Need and the Activation of Humanitarian Norms

The distinctiveness of the justice of need and of humanitarian norms is examined and it is suggested that people do indeed sacrifice their own resources for the benefit of others without hope of external reward, motivated by internalized personal norms. A theoretical process leading from awareness of need through norm activation to overt behavior based on the justice of need is outlined, situational and personality determinants of the activation of personal humanitarian norms and of efforts to neutralize these norms and deflect the moral costs of violating them are explored, and the relationship between humanitarian and exchange norms is discussed. 1975 The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues