Generative social actions and contemporary critical theory: towards a post-consumeristic society?

In this chapter, we model three ideal-types of generative social action: direct empowerment, contributory investment and environmental enhancement. Generative social actions, going beyond justice, indicate the existence of an opposite pole to domination defined as a violation in action of one or more principle of justice which are the common denominator of contemporary theories of justice (i.e. common humanity, common dignity, personhood as an end in itself, autonomy of the person, uniqueness of the person). We call ‘endowment’ this pole, containing generative social actions among others. On one side, it reframes the theory of action critical theory refers to, by adding a further possibility to act to justice and domination, notably in asymmetrical power relations. On the other, due that endowment actions can change the power balance among people and groups and favours the widespread of capacities, it has the potential to drive us out of the individualized-consumerist society.