The Theory of the Leisure Class · Chapter
Pecuniary Canons of Taste explained
This chapter examines how the principle of conspicuous waste shapes not only consumption but also aesthetic judgments, moral codes, and the sense of beauty.
What happens
This chapter examines how the principle of conspicuous waste shapes not only consumption but also aesthetic judgments, moral codes, and the sense of beauty. Veblen argues that the canon of honorific expenditure influences what is considered beautiful or serviceable, leading to a preference for costly, wasteful goods over more efficient but cheaper alternatives. He illustrates this with examples such as hand-wrought versus machine-made spoons, the design of pleasure grounds, and even religious practices, showing that pecuniary reputability often masquerades as beauty or utility.
Themes in this chapter
Conspicuous Consumption
The chapter extensively discusses how consumption is regulated by the requirement of conspicuous waste, with examples such as hand-wrought silver spoons being valued more for their costliness than for their utility or beauty.
Pecuniary Emulation
Veblen explains that consumers are motivated by a wish to conform to established usage and avoid unfavorable notice, which drives the emulation of higher-class consumption patterns and the adoption of pecuniary canons of taste.
Characters to notice
- the master
The master is the central figure whose consumption habits are guided by the need to conform to established canons of decency and avoid unfavorable notice, as discussed in the opening of the chapter.
- servants
Servants are mentioned in the context of vicarious leisure, where even lay dependents should render a day of leisure per week as part of religious observance, reflecting the extension of pecuniary canons.
- the priest
The priest is referenced as a servitor of the divinity who should not engage in industrially productive work, illustrating how pecuniary canons affect religious roles and attire.
Key passages
“The superior gratification derived from the use and contemplation of costly and supposedly beautiful products is, commonly, in great measure a gratification of our sense of costliness masquerading under the name of beauty.”
The pleasure we get from expensive, supposedly beautiful items is mostly just the satisfaction of knowing they are costly, which we mistake for aesthetic appreciation.
This captures Veblen's core argument that pecuniary beauty often overrides genuine aesthetic beauty.
“The thief or swindler who has gained great wealth by his delinquency has a better chance than the small thief of escaping the rigorous penalty of the law and some good repute accrues to him from his increased wealth and from his spending the irregularly acquired possessions in a seemly manner.”
A wealthy criminal who spends his ill-gotten gains in a socially acceptable way often faces less legal punishment and even gains some respect, unlike a petty thief.
This illustrates how conspicuous consumption can mitigate moral condemnation and influence the application of justice.