Complementarity of normative ethics and consumer ethics

Anna B. Frysztak

Abstract

Ethical issues (both generally and especially with reference to “fragments” of society, that is groups of professionals) cannot be considered as separate from the general, external conditions, including sociological characteristics. It should be remembered that the lower level ethical principles should not contradict those of a broader sense. Otherwise, the former ones can cause conflicts. We live in the times of globalization which is a complex issue. The new order, which is/will be its result, is not fully known to us. We can observe the process of globalization – rejecting it does not seem to predictably affect its course. Globalization processes occur regardless of our will and without regard to whether we are in favour of them or not. In the process of globalization, the society of producers transforms into the society of consumers. The former fetishized commodities, whereas subjectivity is considered an attribute of the latter. It is significant what Zygmunt Bauman said about the society of consumers, namely that […] no one can become a subject without first transforming into a product, and no one can save one’s subjectivity in a safe way if one does not have and does not constantly add the qualities which are required from a marketable commodity. The “subjectivity” of the “subject” and most of what can be achieved because of it focuses on the continuous effort to become a marketable commodity [1, p. 149–150]. This is an extreme position – revealing, in Bauman’s opinion [1, p. 150], the true, concealed identity of the society of consumers. However, it seems to make it easier to see the ongoing changes.

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