Enlightened false consciousness: Why climate consciousness is not followed by action

Abstract

The climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges of our time. The vast majority of politicians agree – in Denmark and abroad – as does the majority of the population. Despite this, we are still lagging far behind the emission targets we ourselves have defined. To understand this, we need to look at barriers – both institutional and individual. This article focuses solely on the individual barriers and asks why climate awareness is not followed by climate action, i.e. a more climate-friendly lifestyle. The article focuses on the large middle group who neither deny the climate challenge (deniers) nor engage politically in the fight for change (activists). The article argues that this middle group is characterized by a state of ”enlightened false consciousness”. They are aware of the challenges and their own responsibilities but insist on living life as they always have. The problem is not knowledge, but action. The ”false consciousness” manifests itself in our practice. First, the article focuses on the role of emotions in this and how to reduce cognitive dissonance through mechanisms of moral disengagement. This leads to a discussion of the psychosocial patterns that underpin our practice and not least our insistence on pleasure. And finally, to a discussion of how a green identity itself can be a way to legitimize one’s passivity in relation to the climate issue.