ABSTRACT
Acts of terrorism and political violence originate in every corner of the earth spanning history, culture, and ideological orientation. Yet, the only common thread that binds the diverse acts of those who take part in terrorism and other politically motivated violence is their professed claim of striving to achieve a common good for their community. This common good stems from an effort to alter the prevailing power position along the principles of a specific religious view, ethno-nationalism, or economic class. Kellen, therefore, is entirely correct in pointing out that a “terrorist without a cause (at least in his own mind) is not a terrorist.”2 This ubiquitous pursuit of altruistic goals separates a terrorist from a common criminal. Hence, without understanding the source of this altruistic motivation, we simply cannot comprehend terrorism. Yet, similar to every human being, those who engage in altruistic behavior are not without their selfish motivations. The Western social sciences tell us precious little about this complex being with mixed motives. Therefore, in this chapter I will propose a theoretical perspective to understand and analyze collective actions, such as terrorism.
