March 10, 2010
"We feel so righteous when we buy organic food or a compact fluorescent bulb or a Prius that our internal moral cup runneth over. According to this model, which is called compensatory ethics, people have an inner sense of how morally virtuous they need to feel to support their self-image. If a few actions (including espousing actions for other people) are enough to justify how we like to think of ourselves, then we do not need to perform any additional virtuous actions. It’s as if we accumulate moral points for ethical actions, and having accumulated “enough” we are free to act amorally, or even immorally. That’s why reminding people of what wonderful humanitarians they are causes them to give less to charity."

—

Begley, on the ethical pitfalls of green living. (via newsweek)

The problem with consumption-as-morality.

(via newleft)

2:33pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZlJibyQCNUG
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    The idea of compensatory ethic is fascinating. Does that justify my reasoning for not even trying to be green? probably...