第8章

Thissomewhatidealizedanddiagrammaticoutlineofthedevelopmentandnatureofdomesticservicecomesnearestbeingtrueforthatculturalstagewhichwasherebeennamedthe“quasi-peaceable“stageofindustry。Atthisstagepersonalservicefirstrisestothepositionofaneconomicinstitution，anditisatthisstagethatitoccupiesthelargestplaceinthecommunity’sschemeoflife。Intheculturalsequence，thequasi猵eaceablestagefollowsthepredatorystageproper，thetwobeingsuccessivephasesofbarbarianlife。Itscharacteristicfeatureisaformalobservanceofpeaceandorder，atthesametimethatlifeatthisstagestillhastoomuchofcoercionandclassantagonismtobecalledpeaceableinthefullsenseoftheword。Formanypurposes，andfromanotherpointofviewthantheeconomicone，itmightaswellbenamedthestageofstatus。Themethodofhumanrelationduringthisstage，andthespiritualattitudeofmenatthislevelofculture，iswellsummedupundertheterm。Butasadescriptivetermtocharacterisetheprevailingmethodsofindustry，aswellastoindicatethetrendofindustrialdevelopmentatthispointineconomicevolution，theterm“quasi-peaceable“seemspreferable。SofarasconcernsthecommunitiesoftheWesternculture，thisphaseofeconomicdevelopmentprobablyliesinthepast；exceptforanumericallysmallthoughveryconspicuousfractionofthecommunityinwhomthehabitsofthoughtpeculiartothebarbarianculturehavesufferedbutarelativelyslightdisintegration。

Personalserviceisstillanelementofgreateconomicimportance，especiallyasregardsthedistributionandconsumptionofgoods；butitsrelativeimportanceeveninthisdirectionisnodoubtlessthanitoncewas。Thebestdevelopmentofthisvicariousleisureliesinthepastratherthaninthepresent；anditsbestexpressioninthepresentistobefoundintheschemeoflifeoftheupperleisureclass。Tothisclassthemoderncultureowesmuchinthewayoftheconservationoftraditions，usages，andhabitsofthoughtwhichbelongonamorearchaicculturalplane，sofarasregardstheirwidestacceptanceandtheirmosteffectivedevelopment。

Inthemodernindustrialcommunitiesthemechanicalcontrivancesavailableforthecomfortandconvenienceofeverydaylifearehighlydeveloped。Somuchsothatbodyservants，or，indeed，domesticservantsofanykind，wouldnowscarcelybeemployedbyanybodyexceptonthegroundofacanonofreputabilitycarriedoverbytraditionfromearlierusage。Theonlyexceptionwouldbeservantsemployedtoattendonthepersonsoftheinfirmandthefeeble-minded。Butsuchservantsproperlycomeundertheheadoftrainednursesratherthanunderthatofdomesticservants，andtheyare，therefore，anapparentratherthanarealexceptiontotherule。

Theproximatereasonforkeepingdomesticservants，forinstance，inthemoderatelywell-to-dohouseholdofto-day，is(ostensibly)thatthemembersofthehouseholdareunablewithoutdiscomforttocompasstheworkrequiredbysuchamodernestablishment。Andthereasonfortheirbeingunabletoaccomplishitis(1)thattheyhavetoomany“socialduties“，and(2)thattheworktobedoneistoosevereandthatthereistoomuchofit。Thesetworeasonsmayberestatedasfollows:(1)

Underthemandatorycodeofdecency，thetimeandeffortofthemembersofsuchahouseholdarerequiredtobeostensiblyallspentinaperformanceofconspicuousleisure，inthewayofcalls，drives，clubs，sewing-circles，sports，charityorganisations，andotherlikesocialfunctions。Thosepersonswhosetimeandenergyareemployedinthesemattersprivatelyavowthatalltheseobservances，aswellastheincidentalattentiontodressandotherconspicuousconsumption，areveryirksomebutaltogetherunavoidable。(2)Undertherequirementofconspicuousconsumptionofgoods，theapparatusoflivinghasgrownsoelaborateandcumbrous，inthewayofdwellings，furniture，bric-a-brac，wardrobeandmeals，thattheconsumersofthesethingscannotmakewaywiththemintherequiredmannerwithouthelp。Personalcontactwiththehiredpersonswhoseaidiscalledintofulfiltheroutineofdecencyiscommonlydistastefultotheoccupantsofthehouse，buttheirpresenceisenduredandpaidfor，inordertodelegatetothemashareinthisonerousconsumptionofhouseholdgoods。Thepresenceofdomesticservants，andofthespecialclassofbodyservantsinaneminentdegree，isaconcessionofphysicalcomforttothemoralneedofpecuniarydecency。

Thelargestmanifestationofvicariousleisureinmodernlifeismadeupofwhatarecalleddomesticduties。Thesedutiesarefastbecomingaspeciesofservicesperformed，notsomuchfortheindividualbehoofoftheheadofthehouseholdasforthereputabilityofthehouseholdtakenasacorporateunit——agroupofwhichthehousewifeisamemberonafootingofostensibleequality。Asfastasthehouseholdforwhichtheyareperformeddepartsfromitsarchaicbasisofownership-marriage，thesehouseholddutiesofcoursetendtofalloutofthecategoryofvicariousleisureintheoriginalsense；exceptsofarastheyareperformedbyhiredservants。Thatistosay，sincevicariousleisureispossibleonlyonabasisofstatusorofhiredservice，thedisappearanceoftherelationofstatusfromhumanintercourseatanypointcarrieswithitthedisappearanceofvicariousleisuresofarasregardsthatmuchoflife。Butitistobeadded，inqualificationofthisqualification，thatsolongasthehouseholdsubsists，evenwithadividedhead，thisclassofnon-productivelabourperformedforthesakeofthehouseholdreputabilitymuststillbeclassedasvicariousleisure，althoughinaslightlyalteredsense。Itisnowleisureperformedforthequasi-personalcorporatehousehold，insteadof，asformerly，fortheproprietaryheadofthehousehold。

ChapterFourConspicuousConsumptionInwhathasbeensaidoftheevolutionofthevicariousleisureclassanditsdifferentiationfromthegeneralbodyoftheworkingclasses，referencehasbeenmadetoafurtherdivisionoflabour，——thatbetweenthedifferentservantclasses。Oneportionoftheservantclass，chieflythosepersonswhoseoccupationisvicariousleisure，cometoundertakeanew，subsidiaryrangeofduties——thevicariousconsumptionofgoods。

Themostobviousforminwhichthisconsumptionoccursisseeninthewearingofliveriesandtheoccupationofspaciousservants’

quarters。Another，scarcelylessobtrusiveorlesseffectiveformofvicariousconsumption，andamuchmorewidelyprevalentone，istheconsumptionoffood，clothing，dwelling，andfurniturebytheladyandtherestofthedomesticestablishment。

Butalreadyatapointineconomicevolutionfarantedatingtheemergenceofthelady，specialisedconsumptionofgoodsasanevidenceofpecuniarystrengthhadbeguntoworkoutinamoreorlesselaboratesystem。Thebeginningofadifferentiationinconsumptionevenantedatestheappearanceofanythingthatcanfairlybecalledpecuniarystrength。Itistraceablebacktotheinitialphaseofpredatoryculture，andthereisevenasuggestionthatanincipientdifferentiationinthisrespectliesbackofthebeginningsofthepredatorylife。Thismostprimitivedifferentiationintheconsumptionofgoodsislikethelaterdifferentiationwithwhichweareallsointimatelyfamiliar，inthatitislargelyofaceremonialcharacter，butunlikethelatteritdoesnotrestonadifferenceinaccumulatedwealth。

Theutilityofconsumptionasanevidenceofwealthistobeclassedasaderivativegrowth。Itisanadaptiontoanewend，byaselectiveprocess，ofadistinctionpreviouslyexistingandwellestablishedinmen’shabitsofthought。

Intheearlierphasesofthepredatoryculturetheonlyeconomicdifferentiationisabroaddistinctionbetweenanhonourablesuperiorclassmadeupoftheable-bodiedmenontheoneside，andabaseinferiorclassoflabouringwomenontheother。Accordingtotheidealschemeoflifeinforceatthetimeitistheofficeofthementoconsumewhatthewomenproduce。

Suchconsumptionasfallstothewomenismerelyincidentaltotheirwork；itisameanstotheircontinuedlabour，andnotaconsumptiondirectedtotheirowncomfortandfulnessoflife。

Unproductiveconsumptionofgoodsishonourable，primarilyasamarkofprowessandaperquisiteofhumandignity；secondarilyitbecomessubstantiallyhonourabletoitself，especiallytheconsumptionofthemoredesirablethings。Theconsumptionofchoicearticlesoffood，andfrequentlyalsoofrarearticlesofadornment，becomestabutothewomenandchildren；andifthereisabase(servile)classofmen，thetabuholdsalsoforthem。

Withafurtheradvanceinculturethistabumaychangeintosimplecustomofamoreorlessrigorouscharacter；butwhateverbethetheoreticalbasisofthedistinctionwhichismaintained，whetheritbeatabuoralargerconventionality，thefeaturesoftheconventionalschemeofconsumptiondonotchangeeasily。Whenthequasi-peaceablestageofindustryisreached，withitsfundamentalinstitutionofchattelslavery，thegeneralprinciple，moreorlessrigorouslyapplied，isthatthebase，industriousclassshouldconsumeonlywhatmaybenecessarytotheirsubsistence。Inthenatureofthings，luxuriesandthecomfortsoflifebelongtotheleisureclass。Underthetabu，certainvictuals，andmoreparticularlycertainbeverages，arestrictlyreservedfortheuseofthesuperiorclass。

Theceremonialdifferentiationofthedietaryisbestseenintheuseofintoxicatingbeveragesandnarcotics。Ifthesearticlesofconsumptionarecostly，theyarefelttobenobleandhonorific。Thereforethebaseclasses，primarilythewomen，practiceanenforcedcontinencewithrespecttothesestimulants，exceptincountrieswheretheyareobtainableataverylowcost。

Fromarchaictimesdownthroughallthelengthofthepatriarchalregimeithasbeentheofficeofthewomentoprepareandadministertheseluxuries，andithasbeentheperquisiteofthemenofgentlebirthandbreedingtoconsumethem。Drunkennessandtheotherpathologicalconsequencesofthefreeuseofstimulantsthereforetendintheirturntobecomehonorific，asbeingamark，atthesecondremove，ofthesuperiorstatusofthosewhoareabletoaffordtheindulgence。Infirmitiesinducedbyover-indulgenceareamongsomepeoplesfreelyrecognisedasmanlyattributes。Ithasevenhappenedthatthenameforcertaindiseasedconditionsofthebodyarisingfromsuchanoriginhaspassedintoeverydayspeechasasynonymfor“noble“or“gentle“。

Itisonlyatarelativelyearlystageofculturethatthesymptomsofexpensiveviceareconventionallyacceptedasmarksofasuperiorstatus，andsotendtobecomevirtuesandcommandthedeferenceofthecommunity；butthereputabilitythatattachestocertainexpensiveviceslongretainssomuchofitsforceastoappreciablylessonthedisapprobationvisiteduponthemenofthewealthyornobleclassforanyexcessiveindulgence。Thesameinvidiousdistinctionaddsforcetothecurrentdisapprovalofanyindulgenceofthiskindonthepartofwomen，minors，andinferiors。Thisinvidioustraditionaldistinctionhasnotlostitsforceevenamongthemoreadvancedpeoplesoftoday。Wheretheexamplesetbytheleisureclassretainsitsimperativeforceintheregulationoftheconventionalities，itisobservablethatthewomenstillingreatmeasurepractisethesametraditionalcontinencewithregardtostimulants。

Thischaracterisationofthegreatercontinenceintheuseofstimulantspractisedbythewomenofthereputableclassesmayseemanexcessiverefinementoflogicattheexpenseofcommonsense。Butfactswithineasyreachofanyonewhocarestoknowthemgotosaythatthegreaterabstinenceofwomenisinsomepartduetoanimperativeconventionality；andthisconventionalityis，inageneralway，strongestwherethepatriarchaltradition——thetraditionthatthewomanisachattel——hasretaineditsholdingreatestvigour。Inasensewhichhasbeengreatlyqualifiedinscopeandrigour，butwhichhasbynomeanslostitsmeaningevenyet，thistraditionsaysthatthewoman，beingachattel，shouldconsumeonlywhatisnecessarytohersustenance，——exceptsofarasherfurtherconsumptioncontributestothecomfortorthegoodreputeofhermaster。Theconsumptionofluxuries，inthetruesense，isaconsumptiondirectedtothecomfortoftheconsumerhimself，andis，therefore，amarkofthemaster。Anysuchconsumptionbyotherscantakeplaceonlyonabasisofsufferance。Incommunitieswherethepopularhabitsofthoughthavebeenprofoundlyshapedbythepatriarchaltraditionwemayaccordinglylookforsurvivalsofthetabuonluxuriesatleasttotheextentofaconventionaldeprecationoftheirusebytheunfreeanddependentclass。Thisismoreparticularlytrueasregardscertainluxuries，theuseofwhichbythedependentclasswoulddetractsensiblyfromthecomfortorpleasureoftheirmasters，orwhichareheldtobeofdoubtfullegitimacyonothergrounds。IntheapprehensionofthegreatconservativemiddleclassofWesterncivilisationtheuseofthesevariousstimulantsisobnoxioustoatleastone，ifnotboth，oftheseobjections；

anditisafacttoosignificanttobepassedoverthatitispreciselyamongthesemiddleclassesoftheGermanicculture，withtheirstrongsurvivingsenseofthepatriarchalproprieties，thatthewomenaretothegreatestextentsubjecttoaqualifiedtabuonnarcoticsandalcoholicbeverages。Withmanyqualifications——withmorequalificationsasthepatriarchaltraditionhasgraduallyweakened——thegeneralruleisfelttoberightandbindingthatwomenshouldconsumeonlyforthebenefitoftheirmasters。Theobjectionofcoursepresentsitselfthatexpenditureonwomen’sdressandhouseholdparaphernaliaisanobviousexceptiontothisrule；butitwillappearinthesequelthatthisexceptionismuchmoreobviousthansubstantial。