Virtues, Roles and Rites: A Confucian View on Consumer Ethics

The consumer ethics literature focuses mainly on the consequences of consumption, the principles that should guide it, and the virtues consumers should possess. This article presents a complementary view based on the crucial value Confucianism bestows on social rites as ways to attain moral excellence. Social rites are relevant elements for the achievement of moral self-cultivation in different aspects of life, including the acquisition, use and disposal of consumer goods and services. We illustrate our proposal through some examples of consumption practices, particularly gift exchange, as an ethical context that embodies social rites and in which ethical virtues may unfold.