Virtue signaling is a term used to describe the act of expressing opinions or sentiments that demonstrate one's good character or moral correctness on a particular issue. It involves sharing or displaying ones' views, often on social media, to gain social approval or to suggest that one's beliefs are superior to others.
This term is typically used in a negative light because it insinuates that the individual is less concerned with the actual issue and more with presenting a certain image of themselves. Critics often argue that it can involve empty gestures and insincere expressions of empathy or concern. However, proponents argue it can raise awareness about important issues.
The term has roots in evolutionary biology and social signaling, where organisms or individuals signal qualities about themselves in a social context. In the realm of sociopolitical discourse, virtue signaling often refers to people demonstrating their alignment on popular societal issues, such as climate change, social justice, or other contentious topics.
Calling out someone for virtue signaling is often a fallacious attack because it typically involves either ad hominem attacks or the fallacy of intention.
An ad hominem fallacy occurs when, rather than addressing the argument or actions themselves, the speaker attacks the person making the argument or taking the actions. This fallacy rests on the assumption that because someone might have a particular motivation (in this case, the desire to appear virtuous), their actions or arguments are therefore invalid.
The fallacy of intention occurs when the speaker assumes they know the other person's motives, often in a negative light, and uses this assumption to undermine their argument or actions. Calling out someone for virtue signaling often involves making assumptions about the person's motives (i.e., that they only care about looking good rather than the issue at hand), which is not only hard to prove, but also does not necessarily invalidate their argument or actions.
It's important to note that even if someone is indeed 'virtue signaling' (though this is hard to conclusively prove), that does not automatically undermine their argument or the validity of their actions. A helpful tenet to keep in mind is "attack the argument, not the person". Essentially, whether someone's actions or arguments are seen as virtue signaling or not shouldn't really matter; what matters is the validity of their arguments and the tangible results of their actions.
Søren Kierkegaard, a 19th century Danish philosopher, presented the concept of the "Knight of Faith" in his work "Fear and Trembling". According to Kierkegaard, the Knight of Faith is the pinnacle of religious faith, embodying complete trust in God and absolute commitment to his own subjectivity. The Knight of Faith is indistinguishable from the average person in the crowd – they live ordinary lives, but with an extraordinary inward passion and faith.
Kierkegaard's Knight of Faith is closely related to Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac merely on God's command. This leap of faith placed Abraham beyond the ethical (the universal) and into the realm of the religious (the singular), displaying his full trust and faith towards God.
The Knight of Faith is not interested in signaling virtue to others. Their faith and commitment are mostly invisible and internal. It does not require recognition or approval from the society. The knight's actions are guided by their intense personal faith and commitment, regardless of external views or ethics.
Looking at it this way, the accusation of virtue signaling could indeed apply to religious symbols if they are used mainly for display or to signal moral righteousness rather than genuinely held religious devotion. This would be quite antithetical to the ideal of Kierkegaard's Knight of Faith, who embodies authentic faith that is not reliant upon, nor primarily concerned with, external displays or the judgements of others.
Written by OpenAI GPT-4
Ideated, prompted, fact-checked, and edited by Jared Endicott
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