Breakdown of Inwiefern ist dieser Konsum ethisch?
sein
to be
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
der Konsum
the consumption
inwiefern
in what way
Questions & Answers about Inwiefern ist dieser Konsum ethisch?
What is the difference between inwiefern and inwieweit, and could I use inwieweit here?
Both mean "to what extent" or "in what way," and they are mostly interchangeable in everyday German. Inwiefern tends to ask more about the manner or justification ("how so" or "in what regard"), while inwieweit focuses slightly more on the degree or limit ("to what degree"). You could absolutely use inwieweit here: Inwieweit ist dieser Konsum ethisch?
Why does the verb ist come immediately after inwiefern? Doesn't this word send the verb to the end of the sentence?
In this specific sentence, inwiefern acts as a direct question word (an interrogative adverb, much like warum or wann). Because it takes the first position in a main clause, the conjugated verb ist must immediately follow in position two. It only kicks the verb to the end when used as a subordinating conjunction in an indirect question, such as: Ich frage mich, inwiefern dieser Konsum ethisch ist.
Could I just use wie instead of inwiefern to mean "how"?
You could say Wie ist dieser Konsum ethisch?, but it sounds a bit less precise. Wie simply asks "How?", whereas inwiefern specifically challenges the premise, asking "In what regard?" or "On what grounds?" It is a more analytical word, which makes it perfect for expressing nuanced arguments at a B2 level.
Does the noun Konsum refer to eating food, or something else?