Conceptualizing Selfhood for Sustainability : a Buddhist Virtue Ethics Perspective

This paper addresses the crucial role the individual plays for sustainability against the backdrop of the ethical dimension of sustainability. We discuss the relevance of moral selfhood as the basis for sustainability and develop a model of selfhood for sustainability based on Buddhist virtue ethics. The paper starts with an outline of the ethical dimension of sustainability and the role of individual morality for sustainability. Then, we explore crucial insights from Buddhism for conceptualizing and realizing a type of moral selfhood directed at sustainability. We consider a Buddhist virtue ethical approach and develop its potential for defining and conceptualizing a model of moral selfhood for sustainability by referring to the four immeasurables (bramavihārās) and dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda). We discuss the implications of our model with special attention to care for humans, non-human animals, the biosphere, and sustainable action within the context of complex economic and technological systems. In contrast to many Western-based conceptions of the individual actor, our model of sustainable selfhood conceptualizes a coherent inherent motivation for individual sustainability and the development of sustainable systems and policies