Aristotle 101 for the Modern Consumer
by Lene Johansen
We live in an age of abundance and freedom of choice, which is beyond anything our predecessors could even imagine. The Roman Saturnalias might have been opulent, but they where limited to a few rich members of the Republic. Capitalism has brought opulence to everyone all the time; the real question is if the modern consumer is equipped to handle the responsibilities of abundance? Responsibility comes with freedom, although we often choose to overlook this in our society. So, who is responsible for me choosing to have a Twinkie as an after lunch snack every day? American tort lawyers are vocal advocates of blaming everyone but me. It is time modern consumers accept, and embrace, the responsibility their freedom of choice brings to them. Aristotle’s concept of virtue and the higher good is a great tool to succeed in the abundance society. Here is a 101 class in Aristotle for the modern consumer. Obesity is the new epidemic according to doctors and healthcare authorities, but I am not so sure that medicine is the root of the problem. Obesity is an effect of the lack of virtue in our daily life. Every day application of Aristotle’s idea of virtue is the discipline of evaluating each action against the values we defined as elements of the good life. If the action aids the achievement of the good life, we should proceed, if it frustrates our efforts we should abstain. However, if this discipline is applied to the behavior that leads to obesity, consumption can easily become a vice. There has been an effort to define consumption as a vice in our society. This has taken several shapes. One shape is the anti-consumerists that propagate that there is too much choice, too much of products they define as bad, and too much variety in quality. Another is the longstanding nutritional theory of calorie intake limitation. Most western countries adopted calorie intake limitation as official policy. Anorectics, who deny themselves food, are an extreme symptom of this trend. Food can be a source of great pleasure and vigor for humans; it is also the source of necessary nutrition. There is nothing wrong or evil with consumption of food. Man has always been a consumer; consumption is part of our nature. We have to do it to survive. Genetically, we are programmed to stuff ourselves when we have the opportunity. Our bodies are wired to store the energy, in order to survive the change of seasons in societies without greenhouses and preserving storage facilities. The modern obesity epidemic is an example of how many act on this instinct without questioning the underlying reason. The fact of the matter is that humans have both a brain and a neural system. We do not have to act on neural impulses without question; with a bit of mental exercise our brain can override the neural impulse. Our brain understands abundance and value; it can skillfully evaluate our need for nutrition in a situation where our impulses signal the body to start gorging. So, we are back to the crux of the matter. Do I need my after lunch Twinkie? Are there other food items that can satisfy my need for comfort food in a manner that increases the nutritional value I gain from my treat? To live Aristotle’s virtues in everyday life is simple, but it requires mental discipline. We need to question taught ways and instincts in order to protect our health. We should be thankful the hardest job is protecting ourselves from overindulgence. I think it is harder to protect ourselves from starvation in a society of scarcity. If you are unhappy with your appearance, it is time to start changing your actions. Learn about nutrition, read nutrition labels, indulge in quality and flavor rather than quantity, and lastly, when you ogle that piece of cheesecake on the desert cart ask yourself if you are already full. Promise yourself that you will come back for the cheesecake on the next occasion. You will find that by the time the occasion comes around, you have forgotten about the cheesecake to the benefit of something else. Just postponing the gratification does the trick, but ultimately the decision about what you put in your mouth, when, and how much is yours alone.
February 13, 2006 Lene Johansen [send her mail] is the director of U.S. Operations of the Swedish think tank, Eudoxa. Copyright © 2006 LewRockwell.com |