The idea of luxury : a conceptual and historical investigation /
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| Author / Creator: | |
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Imprint: | Cambridge [England] ; New York, NY, USA : Cambridge University Press, 1994. |
| Series: | Ideas in context ;
30. |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Table of contents Table of contents Table of contents Publisher description |
| Summary: | 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. |
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| Physical Description: | xiv, 271 pages ; 23 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 243-259) and index. |
| ISBN: | 0521454484 9780521454483 0521466911 9780521466912 |