The moral psychology of individual-level adherenceto symbolic green narratives: a Kantian theoreticalapproach

Abstract

Why do agents, who consider themselves ethical or green consumers, endorse green narratives they acknowledge to be deceptive? In this paper I draw on Kant’s moral psychology to propose a conceptual framework that provides us with elements to explain individual-level adherence to symbolic green narratives (SGN). From a theoretical perspective, I show how Kant’s moral psychology provides insights consistent with the state of the art in contemporary social psychology regarding why green consumers fail to enact their best judgment when it comes to endorsing such narratives. My approach is complementary to other theories in arguing that many of our actions in the moral field, and particularly actions and decisions concerning green narratives, are typically pursued aiming not merely at virtue signaling but also at self-affirmation concerning one’s own virtue.