Consumption: A Political and Cultural Field of Power

This article aims to reinterpret consumer behavior beyond the boundaries of classical economic rationality through a philosophical and sociological lens. Consumption is not merely the act of fulfilling needs; it is also regarded as an expression of identity construction, ethical stance, aesthetic preference, and cultural affiliation. In this context, the study analyzes the invisible impulses that guide consumer decisions through the concepts of ethical autonomy, the economy of desire, illusions of freedom, and the daily contradictions of modern life. The research adopts a qualitative theoretical analysis method and draws upon the conceptual legacy of philosophical and classical sociological thinkers. The framework includes Kant’s principle of ethical autonomy, Marx’s concepts of commodity fetishism and alienation, Fromm’s distinction between having and being, and Baudrillard’s notions of simulation and consumer society. In addition, classical sociological concepts such as Durkheim’s collective consciousness, Weber’s lifestyle theory, and Simmel’s analysis of individuality and fashion are also employed. The article reveals that consumer preferences carry not only material but also metaphysical meanings. The individual is no longer a mere purchaser but an active subject who constructs meaning through preferences, adopts a stance, and reconfigures their social existence. By grounding consumer behavior in philosophical contexts, this study demonstrates how consumption in today’s capitalist world has evolved into a value system and a form of identity architecture.