第6章

Theorigin，orbetterthederivation，ofmannersisnodoubt，tobesoughtelsewherethaninaconsciouseffortonthepartofthewell-manneredtoshowthatmuchtimehasbeenspentinacquiringthem。Theproximateendofinnovationandelaborationhasbeenthehighereffectivenessofthenewdepartureinpointofbeautyorofexpressiveness。Ingreatparttheceremonialcodeofdecoroususagesowesitsbeginninganditsgrowthtothedesiretoconciliateortoshowgoodwill，asanthropologistsandsociologistsareinthehabitofassuming，andthisinitialmotiveisrarelyifeverabsentfromtheconductofwell-manneredpersonsatanystageofthelaterdevelopment。

Manners，wearetold，areinpartanelaborationofgesture，andinparttheyaresymbolicalandconventionalisedsurvivalsrepresentingformeractsofdominanceorofpersonalserviceorofpersonalcontact。Inlargeparttheyareanexpressionoftherelationofstatus，——asymbolicpantomimeofmasteryontheonehandandofsubservienceontheother。Whereveratthepresenttimethepredatoryhabitofmind，andtheconsequentattitudeofmasteryandofsubservience，givesitscharactertotheaccreditedschemeoflife，theretheimportanceofallpunctiliosofconductisextreme，andtheassiduitywithwhichtheceremonialobservanceofrankandtitlesisattendedtoapproachescloselytotheidealsetbythebarbarianofthequasi-peaceablenomadicculture。SomeoftheContinentalcountriesaffordgoodillustrationsofthisspiritualsurvival。

Inthesecommunitiesthearchaicidealissimilarlyapproachedasregardstheesteemaccordedtomannersasafactofintrinsicworth。

Decorumsetoutwithbeingsymbolandpantomimeandwithhavingutilityonlyasanexponentofthefactsandqualitiessymbolised；butitpresentlysufferedthetransmutationwhichcommonlypassesoversymbolicalfactsinhumanintercourse。

Mannerspresentlycame，inpopularapprehension，tobepossessedofasubstantialutilityinthemselves；theyacquiredasacramentalcharacter，ingreatmeasureindependentofthefactswhichtheyoriginallyprefigured。Deviationsfromthecodeofdecorumhavebecomeintrinsicallyodioustoallmen，andgoodbreedingis，ineverydayapprehension，notsimplyanadventitiousmarkofhumanexcellence，butanintegralfeatureoftheworthyhumansoul。Therearefewthingsthatsotouchuswithinstinctiverevulsionasabreachofdecorum；andsofarhaveweprogressedinthedirectionofimputingintrinsicutilitytotheceremonialobservancesofetiquettethatfewofus，ifany，candissociateanoffenceagainstetiquettefromasenseofthesubstantialunworthinessoftheoffender。Abreachoffaithmaybecondoned，butabreachofdecorumcannot。“Mannersmakethman。“

Nonetheless，whilemannershavethisintrinsicutility，intheapprehensionoftheperformerandthebeholderalike，thissenseoftheintrinsicrightnessofdecorumisonlytheproximategroundofthevogueofmannersandbreeding。Theirulterior，economicgroundistobesoughtinthehonorificcharacterofthatleisureornon-productiveemploymentoftimeandeffortwithoutwhichgoodmannersarenotacquired。Theknowledgeandhabitofgoodformcomeonlybylong-continueduse。Refinedtastes，manners，habitsoflifeareausefulevidenceofgentility，becausegoodbreedingrequirestime，applicationandexpense，andcanthereforenotbecompassedbythosewhosetimeandenergyaretakenupwithwork。Aknowledgeofgoodformisprimafacieevidencethatthatportionofthewell-bredperson’slifewhichisnotspentundertheobservationofthespectatorhasbeenworthilyspentinacquiringaccomplishmentsthatareofnolucrativeeffect。Inthelastanalysisthevalueofmannersliesinthefactthattheyarethevoucherofalifeofleisure。

Therefore，conversely，sinceleisureistheconventionalmeansofpecuniaryrepute，theacquisitionofsomeproficiencyindecorumisincumbentonallwhoaspiretoamodicumofpecuniarydecency。

Somuchofthehonourablelifeofleisureasisnotspentinthesightofspectatorscanservethepurposesofreputabilityonlyinsofarasitleavesatangible，visibleresultthatcanbeputinevidenceandcanbemeasuredandcomparedwithproductsofthesameclassexhibitedbycompetingaspirantsforrepute。

Somesucheffect，inthewayofleisurelymannersandcarriage，etc。，followsfromsimplepersistentabstentionfromwork，evenwherethesubjectdoesnottakethoughtofthematterandstudiouslyacquireanairofleisurelyopulenceandmastery。

Especiallydoesitseemtobetruethatalifeofleisureinthiswaypersistedinthroughseveralgenerationswillleaveapersistent，ascertainableeffectintheconformationoftheperson，andstillmoreinhishabitualbearinganddemeanour。Butallthesuggestionsofacumulativelifeofleisure，andalltheproficiencyindecorumthatcomesbythewayofpassivehabituation，maybefurtherimproveduponbytakingthoughtandassiduouslyacquiringthemarksofhonourableleisure，andthencarryingtheexhibitionoftheseadventitiousmarksofexemptionfromemploymentoutinastrenuousandsystematicdiscipline。

Plainly，thisisapointatwhichadiligentapplicationofeffortandexpendituremaymateriallyfurthertheattainmentofadecentproficiencyintheleisure-classproperties。Conversely，thegreaterthedegreeofproficiencyandthemorepatenttheevidenceofahighdegreeofhabituationtoobservanceswhichservenolucrativeorotherdirectlyusefulpurpose，thegreatertheconsumptionoftimeandsubstanceimpliedlyinvolvedintheiracquisition，andthegreatertheresultantgoodrepute。Henceunderthecompetitivestruggleforproficiencyingoodmanners，itcomesaboutthatmuchpainsintakenwiththecultivationofhabitsofdecorum；andhencethedetailsofdecorumdevelopintoacomprehensivediscipline，conformitytowhichisrequiredofallwhowouldbeheldblamelessinpointofrepute。Andhence，ontheotherhand，thisconspicuousleisureofwhichdecorumisaramificationgrowsgraduallyintoalaboriousdrillindeportmentandaneducationintasteanddiscriminationastowhatarticlesofconsumptionaredecorousandwhatarethedecorousmethodsofconsumingthem。

Inthisconnectionitisworthyofnoticethatthepossibilityofproducingpathologicalandotheridiosyncrasiesofpersonandmannerbyshrewdmimicryandasystematicdrillhavebeenturnedtoaccountinthedeliberateproductionofaculturedclass——oftenwithaveryhappyeffect。Inthisway，bytheprocessvulgarlyknownassnobbery，asyncopatedevolutionofgentlebirthandbreedingisachievedinthecaseofagoodlynumberoffamiliesandlinesofdescent。Thissyncopatedgentlebirthgivesresultswhich，inpointofserviceabilityasaleisure-classfactorinthepopulation，areinnowisesubstantiallyinferiortootherswhomayhavehadalongerbutlessarduoustraininginthepecuniaryproperties。

Thereare，moreover，measureabledegreesofconformitytothelatestaccreditedcodeofthepunctiliosasregardsdecorousmeansandmethodsofconsumption。Differencesbetweenonepersonandanotherinthedegreeofconformitytotheidealintheserespectscanbecompared，andpersonsmaybegradedandscheduledwithsomeaccuracyandeffectaccordingtoaprogressivescaleofmannersandbreeding。Theawardofreputabilityinthisregardiscommonlymadeingoodfaith，onthegroundofconformitytoacceptedcanonsoftasteinthemattersconcerned，andwithoutconsciousregardtothepecuniarystandingorthedegreeofleisurepractisedbyanygivencandidateforreputability；butthecanonsoftasteaccordingtowhichtheawardismadeareconstantlyunderthesurveillanceofthelawofconspicuousleisure，andareindeedconstantlyundergoingchangeandrevisiontobringthemintocloserconformitywithitsrequirements。Sothatwhiletheproximategroundofdiscriminationmaybeofanotherkind，stillthepervadingprincipleandabidingtestofgoodbreedingistherequirementofasubstantialandpatentwasteoftime。Theremaybesomeconsiderablerangeofvariationindetailwithinthescopeofthisprinciple，buttheyarevariationsofformandexpression，notofsubstance。

Muchofthecourtesyofeverydayintercourseisofcourseadirectexpressionofconsiderationandkindlygood-will，andthiselementofconducthasforthemostpartnoneedofbeingtracedbacktoanyunderlyinggroundofreputabilitytoexplaineitheritspresenceortheapprovalwithwhichitisregarded；butthesameisnottrueofthecodeofproperties。Theselatterareexpressionsofstatus。Itisofcoursesufficientlyplain，toanyonewhocarestosee，thatourbearingtowardsmenialsandotherpecuniarydependentinferiorsisthebearingofthesuperiormemberinarelationofstatus，thoughitsmanifestationisoftengreatlymodifiedandsoftenedfromtheoriginalexpressionofcrudedominance。Similarly，ourbearingtowardssuperiors，andingreatmeasuretowardsequals，expressesamoreorlessconventionalisedattitudeofsubservience。Witnessthemasterfulpresenceofthehigh-mindedgentlemanorlady，whichtestifiestosomuchofdominanceandindependenceofeconomiccircumstances，andwhichatthesametimeappealswithsuchconvincingforcetooursenseofwhatisrightandgracious。Itisamongthishighestleisureclass，whohavenosuperiorsandfewpeers，thatdecorumfindsitsfullestandmaturestexpression；anditisthishighestclassalsothatgivesdecorumthatdefiniteformulationwhichservesasacanonofconductfortheclassesbeneath。Andtherealsothecodeismostobviouslyacodeofstatusandshowsmostplainlyitsincompatibilitywithallvulgarlyproductivework。A

divineassuranceandanimperiouscomplaisance，asofonehabituatedtorequiresubservienceandtotakenothoughtforthemorrow，isthebirthrightandthecriterionofthegentlemanathisbest；anditisinpopularapprehensionevenmorethanthat，forthisdemeanourisacceptedasanintrinsicattributeofsuperiorworth，beforewhichthebase-borncommonerdelightstostoopandyield。

Ashasbeenindicatedinanearlierchapter，thereisreasontobelievethattheinstitutionofownershiphasbegunwiththeownershipofpersons，primarilywomen。Theincentivestoacquiringsuchpropertyhaveapparentlybeen:(1)apropensityfordominanceandcoercion；(2)theutilityofthesepersonsasevidenceoftheprowessoftheowner；(3)theutilityoftheirservices。

Personalserviceholdsapeculiarplaceintheeconomicdevelopment。Duringthestageofquasi-peaceableindustry，andespeciallyduringtheearlierdevelopmentofindustrywithinthelimitsofthisgeneralstage，theutilityoftheirservicesseemscommonlytobethedominantmotivetotheacquisitionofpropertyinpersons。Servantsarevaluedfortheirservices。Butthedominanceofthismotiveisnotduetoadeclineintheabsoluteimportanceoftheothertwoutilitiespossessedbyservants。Itisratherthatthealteredcircumstanceoflifeaccentuatetheutilityofservantsforthislast-namedpurpose。Womenandotherslavesarehighlyvalued，bothasanevidenceofwealthandasameansofaccumulatingwealth。Togetherwithcattle，ifthetribeisapastoralone，theyaretheusualformofinvestmentforaprofit。Tosuchanextentmayfemaleslaverygiveitscharactertotheeconomiclifeunderthequasi-peaceableculturethatthewomenevencomestoserveasaunitofvalueamongpeoplesoccupyingthisculturalstage——asforinstanceinHomerictimes。Wherethisisthecasethereneedbelittlequestionbutthatthebasisoftheindustrialsystemischattelslaveryandthatthewomenarecommonlyslaves。Thegreat，pervadinghumanrelationinsuchasystemisthatofmasterandservant。Theacceptedevidenceofwealthisthepossessionofmanywomen，andpresentlyalsoofotherslavesengagedinattendanceontheirmaster’spersonandinproducinggoodsforhim。

Adivisionoflabourpresentlysetsin，wherebypersonalserviceandattendanceonthemasterbecomesthespecialofficeofaportionoftheservants，whilethosewhoarewhollyemployedinindustrialoccupationsproperareremovedmoreandmorefromallimmediaterelationtothepersonoftheirowner。Atthesametimethoseservantswhoseofficeispersonalservice，includingdomesticduties，comegraduallytobeexemptedfromproductiveindustrycarriedonforgain。