The Moral Status of Leisure in a World with Ongoing Moral Catastrophe

Abstract

In this essay, we argue that counter to the dominant narrative, many commonly practiced forms of leisure are morally impermissible. Specifically, we describe how for many people, in many circumstances, the practice of leisure cannot be reconciled with the pursuit of an ethical life. We also describe how certain leisure practices, which we identify as morally significant, are permissible. In short, we contend that in a world with ongoing moral catastrophe, leisure must earn its claim on our lives and our resources. To do so, we draw primarily on the work of Peter Singer. We begin by introducing Singer’s rescue principle, and then extending it to the context of leisure. We conclude with a discussion of the potential implications of our argument for a variety of stakeholders, including scholars, practitioners, and members of the general public.