#1566 Wrestling with Ethical Consumption Under Capitalism
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 14 June 2023
⏱️ 68 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date 6/13/2023
Today, we take a look at the struggle to act ethically, at least by our own measure if there's not a universally-agreed standard to compare with, relating to the purchase of both the necessities of life we all need as well as the more luxury items that get added on top.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: No ethical consumption under capitalism: short deep dive - @professor_neil - Air Date 4-13-23
Origin of "no ethical consumption under capitalism"
What once was a statement of fact, now has been taken as an excuse to essentially be a consumer without even thinking about the ethics involved of what you were buying.
Ch. 3: "Separating Art vs. the Artist" doesn't work for Harry Potter - Kuncan Dastner - Air Date 4-14-22
Secrets of Dumbledore and Hogwarts Legacy aren't enough to save this franchise
Alternate thoughts on the ethics of consumption within capitalism
Ch. 5: Ethical Consumption - Pullback - Air Date 3-7-23
So, there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism. Does that mean there’s no value to movements like slow fashion, eating local, and Fairtrade?
This is a conversation about how and why The Good Place exists and what it reflects about The Odd Place in which we actually live. Unlike a lot of conversations about moral philosophy, this one is a lot of fun.
Ch. 7: Ethical Capitalism: Is It Possible? - Wise Crack - Air Date 7-19-21
We live in an era of increased skepticism towards capitalism. But is participating in capitalism inherently antithetical to living an ethical life? Or is it possible to act ethically within a capitalist system?
A video essay on modern day ethics as discussed in the Netflix show The Good Place. Focusing in particular on the notion of ethical consumerism and individuality from a sociological perspective.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Conscious Consumerism: Does it make a difference - Roundtable - Air Date 7-10-19
Conscious consumerism focuses on making positive decisions throughout the buying process, with the intention of helping to balance some of the negative impacts that consumerism has on the planet.
My 17 yr-old and I have noticed an unsettling trend on social media: folks choosing to take the concept of "No ethical consumption under capitalism" as a license to give up when it comes to trying to make ethical purchases for our bodies and our homes.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Response to cohousing episode
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on why people being misled into unethical behavior gives me hope
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: White text in a funky font says “There is no ethical consumption under capitalism.” in quotation marks on a black background.
Credit: Design by A. Hoffman using "BM Kirang Haerang" font.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of the Left podcast, in which we should |
| 0:07.1 | take a look at the struggle to act ethically, at least by our own measure, relating to |
| 0:12.5 | the purchases of both the necessities of life we all need, as well as the more luxury |
| 0:17.6 | items that get added on top. |
| 0:20.7 | Sources today include Professor Neil, V. Cavernacle, Conkin Daster, Poppy Saw, Pullback, |
| 0:29.0 | The Grey Area, Wisecrack, and Like Stories of Old, with additional members only clips |
| 0:35.3 | from Roundtable and Park Rose Permaculture. |
| 0:45.1 | So the idea of no ethical consumption under capitalism has its origin in the 90s and the |
| 0:50.1 | practice of ethical consumerism. |
| 0:52.0 | The ethical consumer acknowledges that capitalism is exploitative, but that that exploitation |
| 0:56.2 | exists on a scale. |
| 0:57.7 | Some companies offer better pay, are less environmentally destructive, and so on. |
| 1:01.0 | So a $1 chocolate bar made from cocoa harvested by slave wage child laborers is less ethical |
| 1:06.4 | than a bougie $10 bar made from cocoa harvested at a living wage. |
| 1:10.8 | But as soon as people started talking about ethical consumerism, it came under fire. |
| 1:15.1 | Or one because it is unavoidably classless, who gets to call themselves an ethical consumer |
| 1:19.8 | here. |
| 1:20.8 | In our chocolate example, very few people can afford to buy the $10 bar. |
| 1:23.6 | The ethical product serves this dual purpose of alleviating the wealthy of their guilt, |
| 1:27.8 | while also shifting blame to the middle and working class who can't afford it. |
| 1:31.3 | Because if they're not part of the solution, they're part of the problem, right? |
| 1:34.3 | The philosopher Slavoj Giacmawkingly calls this consumer activism. |
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