Unternehmen und Konsumenten in Verantwortungsgemeinschaft jenseits des Konsumismus. Nachhaltigkeit erfordert, das Zusammenwirken zwischen Produzieren und Konsumieren neu zu denken (Companies and consumers in communities of responsibility beyond consumerism: Sustainability requires rethinking the interaction between producing and consuming)

Um das Verhaeltnis von Unternehmens- und Konsumentenethik naeher zu bestimmen, schlaegt dieser Beitrag vor, das Zusammenwirken von Produzieren und Konsumieren unter dem Gesichtspunkt der Befaehigung zur gemeinsamen Verantwortungsuebernahme fuer eine nachhaltige Entwicklung neu zu konzipieren. (Starting with the problems of consumerism we argue that the goal of sustainable development requires a reconceptualization of the interaction between companies and consumers. The culture of consumerism, even if it was maximum resource-efficient, can neither be sustainable nor contribute to a good life as long as consumption is augmented permanently. We suggest that the spiral of consumerism can only be broken if companies and consumers engage in communities of responsibility. To this end, instead of further focusing only on (constantly new) needs, the relevance of capabilities to a good life needs to become center-stage. Companies and consumers can achieve this end together, if the companies develop the cultural competences necessary to enable consumers’ capabilities – taking into account the ecological and social boundaries to freedom.)