The Production of Consumers and the Formation of Desire: A Neo-Thomist Perspective

Christian moral reflection often criticizes mindless consumerism, but Thomas Aquinas and Pierre Bourdieu offer a model of human desire that can help us make more considered judgments about how to navigate the consumer society. By attending to desire itself, we can learn how to desire and then act in ways that are more consonant with our conception of what it means to live well.

Format: Hardback
Length: 142 pages
Publication date: 15 February 2023
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

We live in a society that is constantly surrounded by stuff and bombarded with advertisements that try to convince us that shopping will improve our lives. While our lives may indeed improve as a result of our purchases, it is often the case that our purchases are motivated by an impulse to satisfy immediate desires rather than reflective deliberation about how our purchasing choices enable us to live the lives we want. This conundrum has been criticized by Christian moral reflection as "mindless consumerism," which argues that it pulls Christians away from loving God above all things. While such critiques often encourage Christians to focus their desire on God rather than material goods, we may still wonder how we can exercise such control over our desires.

One way to approach this issue is to attend to desire itself - how it arises, how it is shaped by social context, and its role in cultivating a virtuous life. Within the Christian tradition, Thomas Aquinas offers a compelling model of human desire that, when juxtaposed with Pierre Bourdieu's theory of social practices, can help us make more considered judgments about how to navigate the consumer society in which we live.

Aquinas's model of human desire begins with the recognition that human beings are created in the image of God and that our desires are therefore oriented toward the good. However, Aquinas also recognizes that our desires can be distorted by our fallen nature and by the social context in which we live. This distortion can lead us to desire things that are not good for us or that are harmful to others.

To address this distortion, Aquinas proposes a three-step process:

1. Recognize the distortion: We must first recognize that our desires are distorted by our fallen nature and by the social context in which we live. This can be done by reflecting on our own experiences and by observing the world around us.

2. Seek the good: Once we have recognized the distortion, we must seek the good. This can be done by engaging in prayer, meditation, and other spiritual practices that help us to connect with God and to discern His will for our lives.

3. Act in accordance with the good: Once we have sought the good, we must act in accordance with it. This can be done by making choices that are consistent with our values and by living a virtuous life.

Bourdieu's theory of social practices provides a complementary perspective on human desire. Bourdieu argues that social practices are shaped by the social structures in which we live and that they play a crucial role in shaping our desires. Social practices include things like shopping, eating, and socializing, and they can have a significant impact on our sense of self and our relationships with others.

Bourdieu's theory of social practices can help us to understand why we are so susceptible to the influence of advertisements and why we are so often motivated by an impulse to satisfy immediate desires rather than reflective deliberation about how our purchasing choices enable us to live the lives we want. For example, Bourdieu argues that shopping is a social practice that is deeply embedded in our culture and that it is shaped by the social structures in which we live. Shopping is a way for us to express our identity, to connect with others, and to gain social status.

However, Bourdieu also argues that shopping can be harmful to us. Shopping can lead us to accumulate debt, to consume too much, and to neglect our relationships with others. It can also create a sense of anxiety and stress.

To address these problems, Bourdieu proposes a number of strategies. One of these strategies is to develop a sense of self-awareness. We must be aware of our own desires and of the ways in which they are shaped by our social context. We must also be aware of the ways in which our desires can be harmful to us and to others.

Another strategy is to develop a sense of community. We must be part of a community that values our well-being and that supports us in our efforts to live a virtuous life. We must also be willing to share our resources with others and to work together to address social problems.

Finally, we must be willing to make sacrifices. We must be willing to give up some of our desires in order to live a more virtuous life. This can be difficult, but it is necessary if we are to live a life that is truly meaningful and fulfilling.

In conclusion, we live in a society that is constantly surrounded by stuff and bombarded with advertisements that try to convince us that shopping will improve our lives. While our lives may indeed improve as a result of our purchases, it is often the case that our purchases are motivated by an impulse to satisfy immediate desires rather than reflective deliberation about how our purchasing choices enable us to live the lives we want. By attending to desire itself - how it arises, how it is shaped by social context, and its role in cultivating a virtuous life - we can learn how to desire and then act in ways that are more consonant with our conception of what it means to live well. Within the Christian tradition, Thomas Aquinas offers a compelling model of human desire that, when juxtaposed with Pierre Bourdieu's theory of social practices, can help us make more considered judgments about how to navigate the consumer society in which we live.

Weight: 395g
Dimension: 237 x 158 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978707054