ABSTRACT

Since materially opulent lifestyles are a significant cause of environmental degradation, environmentalists often call for us to live more simply. This call is typically focused on consumption. But our environmental footprint is a function of our paid work as well as our purchases. Consequently, environmentalists should also urge us to work less and to limit the role employment plays in our lives. Defending this claim is the project of this paper. Reducing our economic productivity, I argue, can often be expected to improve the environmentally valuable aspects of both the world and our characters. And, contrary to what some have suggested, working less than is normal needn’t involve unfairly free-riding on the productive efforts of others.

摘要

由于过分富裕的生活方式是造成环境恶化的重要原因，环保主义者经常呼吁我们生活得更简单。此通话通常集中在消费上。但是我们的环境足迹是我们有偿工作以及购买行为的函数。因此，环保主义者还应敦促我们减少工作量，并限制就业在我们的生活中发挥的作用。为这一主张辩护是本文的项目。我认为，降低我们的经济生产力常常可以改善世界和我们人物的对环境有价值的方面。而且，与某些人的建议相反，以低于正常水平的工作量并不需要不公平地搭便车，以他人的生产努力。