Cnota umiaru w kulturze nadmiaru
The Virtue of Moderation in the Culture of Excess

Summary/Abstract: RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The aim of the article is to conceptualize the virtue of moderation, to explore the consequences of neglecting this moral skill in consumer culture, and to look at ethical consumerism from the perspective offered by the contemporary virtue ethics. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The research problem focuses on finding answers to the following questions: What is moderation? In what way does the lack of moderation in consumer culture affect people’s lives? What practical guidelines on ethical consumerism can be provided by the contemporary virtue ethics? The method used: an analysis and synthesis of the relevant literature. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: By referring to academic sources, the virtue of moderation has been characterized, the symptoms of the lack of moderation in the consumer society have been described, and the consequences of this lack for human development have been discussed. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated how the virtue ethics can be successfully applied in determining the characteristics of a responsible consumer. RESEARCH RESULTS: The analyses indicate that moderation is a controversial virtue, which – in spite of its undeniable merits– is not accepted by everyone. The consumer society is particularly impervious to this virtue and pays a heavy price for it. What is needed is a turn towards values, which have to be reflected in action, that is in the behaviour of a virtuous person. CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Everybody needs moderation to be able to embrace their humanity. However, being guided by moderation is particularly difficult in the age of consumerism because buying and consuming are treated as virtues. That is why people, especially children and youth, should be made aware of the relationships between their own development and their consumer behaviour. In this context, it is particularly important to work on the improvement of one’s character.

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