在西方经济伦理学界 ,消费中的伦理问题一直就没有得到应有的重视 ,而只不过是生态伦理学家、社会学家感兴趣的课题。生态伦理学家、社会学家认为 ,消费不仅取决于经济承受力 ,而且也应取决于伦理承受力 ;整个社会都应放弃片面的消费观念与增长模式 ,把注意力集中到生活质量的问题上来 ,从而进入自我生活的时代。而这就又需要解决两个理论问题 :一是区分消极性消费与自主性消费 ,后者是指无需消耗大量自然资源 ,而又能推进人的自我实现的消费方式。二是区分物质上的平等与形式上的平等。从人的意志自由之理念导出的人人平等之原则 ,所要维护的从本质上讲是人的道义上、法律上、政治上和精神上的平等 ,即所谓形式上的平等 ;它是根据人作为人所拥有的基本权利的要求 ,而要禁止任何以人的出身、肤色、性别、种族为标准赋予一部分人某种特权 ,却对另一部分人加以歧视的行为。但在这里并不涉及人与人之间由于对社会的贡献能力上的差别所导致的物质上、财产收入上的不平等。从本质上讲形式上的平等原则与物质上的平等原则并没有实质的关联 In the field of Western economic ethics, the ethical issues in consumption have not received the attention they deserve. They are only the topics of interest to ecological ethicists and sociologists. Ecological ethicists and sociologists believe that consumption depends not only on economic affordability, but also on ethical affordability. The whole society should abandon the one-sided consumption concept and growth model and focus on the issue of quality of life , To enter the era of self-life. And this also needs to solve two theoretical problems: First, to distinguish between passive consumption and autonomous consumption, the latter refers to consumption without the need to consume large amounts of natural resources, but can promote the realization of human self-consumption. The second is to distinguish between material equality and formal equality. The principle of equality for all, derived from the idea of ​​the freedom of mankind, is essentially the moral, legal, political and spiritual equality of mankind, the so-called formal equality to be maintained; it is based on the principle of human As a basic human rights requirement, banning any practice of giving certain privileges to some people on the basis of one’s birth, skin color, gender and race, while discriminating against others. However, this does not refer to material and property inequalities in income as a result of differences in the ability of people to contribute to society. In essence, the formal principle of equality is not related to the principle of material equality