Daily Reflection
“The capitalist and consumerist ethics are two sides of the same coin, a merger of two commandments. The supreme commandment of the rich is ‘Invest!’ The supreme commandment of the rest of us is ‘Buy!’ The capitalist–consumerist ethic is revolutionary in another respect.
Most previous ethical systems presented people with a pretty tough deal. They were promised paradise, but only if they cultivated compassion and tolerance, overcame craving and anger, and restrained their selfish interests. This was too tough for most.
The history of ethics is a sad tale of wonderful ideals that nobody can live up to. Most Christians did not imitate Christ, most Buddhists failed to follow Buddha, and most Confucians would have caused Confucius a temper tantrum.
In contrast, most people today successfully live up to the capitalist–consumerist ideal. The new ethic promises paradise on condition that the rich remain greedy and spend their time making more money and that the masses give free reign to their cravings and passions and buy more and more.
This is the first religion in history whose followers actually do what they are asked to do. How though do we know that we'll really get paradise in return? We've seen it on television.”1
—Yuval Noah Harari, Author of Sapiens
Well then.
Maybe a warning up front: today might feel a bit in your face. Not because I have an agenda to rustle any feathers, but because our survey of morality has brought us to the present moment. And talking about morality in the present tense always carries with it a different emotional tone and weightiness.
With that said, the point of today is not to make value judgements about you, me, or anyone else for that matter. Rather, it’s to continue our overview by objectively analyzing one of the most successful ethical constructs in history: consumer-capitalism.
Harari makes a very interesting (albeit uncomfortable) observation in his quote above. Consumer-Capatalism—realize it or not, like it or not—is one of the most successful and widespread moral/ethical codes in history.
Not only because of it’s ubiquity, sheer geographical reach, and nearly-global acceptance. But because of the consistency with which it is followed. So much so, that even many who wish not to subscribe to its tenants are forced to, especially in Western Europe and North America.
Again, this is not an essay in which we will make value judgements about this ethical construct, rather we want to understand it.
So what do followers of Consumer-Capatalism believe?
According to Harari (and a few others from me for fun), the list goes something like this:
Infinite, exponential growth
Commodification (of anything possible)
Long term, financial investment
Hyper-Productivity
Hyper-Consumption (for survival, purpose, and pleasure)
Personal Wealth Accumulation and Maximization
Early stage-risk taking, and late stage-wealth protection
Personal ownership of economic status
Class based on ability to successfully acquire capital (and value judgements made therein)
An all consuming focus on the “Economy”
So what do you think?
What would you add or subtract to this list?
Do you consider yourself a consumer-capitalist?
Do you ascribe to this ethic happily, or as a means of survival?
Are you reading this in a place which has not experienced the onset of this ethic? If so, how do you view consumer-capitalism?
I’m excited to hear from you, let’s discuss here:
Until tomorrow friends,
Matt
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/395812.Yuval_Noah_Harari
So true! I moved to the States only a few months ago and like most humans, I have sought to compare my experience here with my experiences living in Europe and Asia. And my observation has been that this is truly a land of opportunities. Why? Because everyone has a growth mindset and are solution orientated. People are friendly and ready to chat. The British politeness and ahem, uptightness, is missing. It's more casual and relaxed. BUT, life here seems to revolve around money! Not experiences and connections for the sake of experiences and connection, but experiences to show how money can buy you those experiences.
To your question, Do I consider myself a consumer-capitalist? Sigh, I don't want to but I'm afraid I might give in to it even without realising it.
Thanks for the interesting post!