More Thoughts on Freeganism and Purity
I wrote this in response to an email from a journalist asking why Freegan.info includes info on our website on how to BUY "The Art and Science of Dumpster Diving," a book we don't sell, but do offer information on how to buy:
One of the things I find very refreshing about the freegan ethic is its blunt acceptance of the reality that existing in this culture makes us all hypocrites to a degree. People often try to discredit us by "proving" that we aren't totally consistent--that we pay for internet use, for example.
The thing is, freegans never CLAIM to be 100% consistent. Personally, I'd rather teach millions strategies for survival that don't require financing unethical corporations and help to combat waste than feel "pure" about not being on the internet and therefore reaching far fewer people. We all make trade-offs in this world. Freegans are more in the model of activists and less in the model of monks--we wish to change the world, not purify ourselves in the eyes of a higher power. We recognize that our personal contribution is vitally important, but also recognize that we could all be utterly pure in every regard and if the rest of the world is still working for and buying products killer corporations, lacking the resources they vitally need, working unsafe jobs for unreasonable hours at unfair wages, or consuming unreasonable amounts of natural resources, what good will this do, other than make us feel better? In some ways, emphasizing absolute purity at the expense of missing opportunities to educate others can be self-serving, and to a degree we'd much rather get our hands a bit dirty if it will mean far broader change in the long run.
It is in this spirit that we include information on John Hoffman's books on our website. If we had copies to give away we would. And we try to provide as many alternatives as possible for people to obtain similar information without paying for it. That said, if spending $20 on a book can immediately mean that someone will be able to limit their spending by thousands, I think that's a worthwhile trade off. We don't emphasize or particularly promote those books, though, other than letting people know they exist, and try to encourage people who do wish to obtain them to purchase second hand copies, to keep the cycle of reuse active.
To me one of the best things about this outlook is it prevents us from being self-righteous. We recognize that for everyone, it is a struggle to live an ethical life in a world where simply living within society makes us complicit in a wide range of injustices every day. We have no interest in judging people for the choices they do or do not make, but we do want to build communities and networks that will make it practical, easy, and fun for people to be part of the building of a new society based on values of cooperation, sustainability, social justice, compassion, resource conservation, respect for animals, and a fundamental belief that we are all entitled to lead good lives where our basic needs should be met.
One of the things I find very refreshing about the freegan ethic is its blunt acceptance of the reality that existing in this culture makes us all hypocrites to a degree. People often try to discredit us by "proving" that we aren't totally consistent--that we pay for internet use, for example.
The thing is, freegans never CLAIM to be 100% consistent. Personally, I'd rather teach millions strategies for survival that don't require financing unethical corporations and help to combat waste than feel "pure" about not being on the internet and therefore reaching far fewer people. We all make trade-offs in this world. Freegans are more in the model of activists and less in the model of monks--we wish to change the world, not purify ourselves in the eyes of a higher power. We recognize that our personal contribution is vitally important, but also recognize that we could all be utterly pure in every regard and if the rest of the world is still working for and buying products killer corporations, lacking the resources they vitally need, working unsafe jobs for unreasonable hours at unfair wages, or consuming unreasonable amounts of natural resources, what good will this do, other than make us feel better? In some ways, emphasizing absolute purity at the expense of missing opportunities to educate others can be self-serving, and to a degree we'd much rather get our hands a bit dirty if it will mean far broader change in the long run.
It is in this spirit that we include information on John Hoffman's books on our website. If we had copies to give away we would. And we try to provide as many alternatives as possible for people to obtain similar information without paying for it. That said, if spending $20 on a book can immediately mean that someone will be able to limit their spending by thousands, I think that's a worthwhile trade off. We don't emphasize or particularly promote those books, though, other than letting people know they exist, and try to encourage people who do wish to obtain them to purchase second hand copies, to keep the cycle of reuse active.
To me one of the best things about this outlook is it prevents us from being self-righteous. We recognize that for everyone, it is a struggle to live an ethical life in a world where simply living within society makes us complicit in a wide range of injustices every day. We have no interest in judging people for the choices they do or do not make, but we do want to build communities and networks that will make it practical, easy, and fun for people to be part of the building of a new society based on values of cooperation, sustainability, social justice, compassion, resource conservation, respect for animals, and a fundamental belief that we are all entitled to lead good lives where our basic needs should be met.