How should we evaluate current U.S. consumption patterns? Alan Durning asks, “How much is enough?” But the question is incomplete. We must ask, “How much of what?” “Enough for whom?” and “Enough for what purpose?” In search of answers to such basic questions, this selection analyzes the consumerist ideal and three philosophical visions of the good life – utilitarianism, basic-needs ethics, and the capabilities ethic.
