States give a certain amount of their own wealth every year to countries that are objectively worse off, often at polar opposites of the affluence spectrum. Previous literature has explored whether this aid was given to enrich the donor state through a trade-for-aid structure or whether the more powerful donor state was exerting its influence over a fledgling recipient state. But could aid be given altruistically? This thesis tests whether states have the capacity to give altruistically, and if so, what factors motivate that altruistic giving? A panel analysis is employed to create a workable measurement of state altruism using development aid, the state equivalent of giving, as the dependent variable. Tested against it are three main motivations of aid, including sentiments of giving generated by recipient-side state conditions. These sentiments are measured using a novel text analysis technique for determining the sentiment of state action. Further, qualitative analysis of statements about aid provides further context about the quality of altruistic giving and state altruism. This thesis ultimately argues that state altruism not only exists when it comes to giving aid but that the United Kingdom, the donor country chosen for this research, has its altruism motivated by the acute and chronic human suffering of aid recipient nations.