Full Description
In this far-ranging and innovative study Christopher Berry explores the meanings and ramifications of the idea of luxury. Insights from political theory, philosophy and intellectual history are utilised in a sophisticated conceptual analysis that is complemented by a series of specific historical investigations. Dr Berry suggests that the value attached to luxury is a crucial component in any society's self-understanding, and shows how luxury has changed from being essentially a negative term, threatening social virtue, to a guileless ploy supporting consumption. His analytic focus upon the interplay between the notions of need and desire suggests that luxuries fall into four categories - sustenance, shelter, clothing and leisure - and these are exemplified in sources as diverse as classical philosophy and contemporary advertising.
Contents
Part I. Preliminary Essay: 1. Luxury goods; Part II. The Classical Paradigm: 2. The platonic prelude; 3. The Roman response; 4. The Christian contribution; Part III. The Transition to Modernity: 5. The de-moralisation of luxury; 6. The eighteenth-century debate; 7. The historicity of needs; Part IV. Politics, Needs and Desires: 8. Luxury and the politics of needs and desires; 9. Luxury, necessity and social identity.
