Consumer (Freedom of) Choice

Freedom of choice is one of the core ideas underpinning the functioning of (post)modern society. Although choice means different things to different people in various points in time, its positive connotations are rarely questioned. Whether it is conflated with consumerism, market, or individual autonomy, choice stands for much wider social, political, and philosophical conditions. The origins of the idea can be traced back to the Western tradition of moral philosophy and, later on, to economics. Recently, though, it has been extended to almost every aspect of life as a part of reflexive postmodernity where everything is negotiable and a matter of individual choice.

However, choice is also an ideological proposition. It is firmly rooted in neoclassic economics and is central to market liberalism given its focus ...