The Diagnosis: A Passion of Contradictory Assent
The dissonance is a pathos—a pathological emotional state—resulting from the simultaneous assent to two conflicting impressions: that caring for the planet is a good, and that personal consumption is an inherent evil. This creates a recursive loop of guilt, a passion born from misjudging the moral nature of externals.
KEY CONCEPTS
Pathos
/ˈpeɪθɒs/
A destructive, excessive emotion contrary to nature, arising from faulty judgment of good and evil.
"The feeling of dissonance is itself a pathos, a sickness to be cured through rational examination."
Assent
/əˈsɛnt/
The act of agreeing that an impression is true or should guide action.
"The error is granting assent to the impression that consumption necessarily negates care, creating a false dilemma."
The Analysis: Consumption as a Preferred Indifferent
Consumption, like all material engagements, is an external and thus a preferred indifferent. Its moral value is not intrinsic but derives from how it is used—wisely or foolishly. Caring for the planet is an internal disposition that must inform the use of indifferents, not be paralyzed by their existence.
KEY CONCEPTS
Externals
/ɪkˈstɜːrnlz/
Things outside our complete control, including material resources, environmental systems, and economic structures.
"Planetary health and personal consumption are externals; fixating on them as the locus of good or evil leads to dissonance."
Indifferents
/ɪnˈdɪf(ə)rənts/
In Stoicism, things that are neither good nor bad in themselves, though they may have value in facilitating a natural life.
"Consumption is a preferred indifferent; it becomes virtuous or vicious based on the intention and manner of its use."
The Prescription: Virtuous Engagement Through Prohairesis
The cure is to redirect prohairesis—the faculty of moral choice—toward virtuous action within the sphere of control. Act with wisdom to reduce harm, with justice to advocate for change, and with temperance in consumption. Release attachment to perfect outcomes; virtue lies in the reasoned effort, not in absolute purity.
KEY CONCEPTS
Prohairesis
/proʊˈhaɪrɪsɪs/
The will or moral purpose; the capacity for choice and assent that is the core of the self.
"Exercise prohairesis to make consumption choices aligned with care, without guilt over necessary indifferents."
Virtue
/ˈvɜːrtʃuː/
Excellence of character, the sole good in Stoicism, encompassing wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance.
"The standard for action: engage with consumption in a way that expresses virtue, transforming dissonance into purposeful agency."
The Diagnosis: A Passion of Contradictory Assent. The dissonance is a pathos—a pathological emotional state—resulting from the simultaneous assent to two conflicting impressions: that caring for the planet is a good, and that personal consumption is an inherent evil. This creates a recursive loop of guilt, a passion born from misjudging the moral nature of externals. The Analysis: Consumption as a Preferred Indifferent. Consumption, like all material engagements, is an external and thus a preferred indifferent. Its moral value is not intrinsic but derives from how it is used—wisely or foolishly. Caring for the planet is an internal disposition that must inform the use of indifferents, not be paralyzed by their existence. The Prescription: Virtuous Engagement Through Prohairesis. The cure is to redirect prohairesis—the faculty of moral choice—toward virtuous action within the sphere of control. Act with wisdom to reduce harm, with justice to advocate for change, and with temperance in consumption. Release attachment to perfect outcomes; virtue lies in the reasoned effort, not in absolute purity.