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托斯丹·凡勃伦:有闲阶级论·摘录 46

托斯丹·凡勃伦《有闲阶级论》· The Theory of the Leisure Class · 投资

But already at a point in economic evolution far antedating the emergence of the lady, specialised consumption of goods as an evidence of pecuniary strength had begun to work out in a more or less elaborate system. The beginning of a differentiation in consumption even antedates the appearance of anything that can fairly be called pecuniary strength. It is traceable back to the initial phase of predatory culture, and there is even a suggestion that an incipient differentiation in this respect lies back of the beginnings of the predatory life. This most primitive differentiation in the consumption of goods is like the later differentiation with which we are all so intimately familiar, in that it is largely of a ceremonial character, but unlike the latter it does not rest on a difference in accumulated wealth. The utility of consumption as an evidence of wealth is to be classed as a derivative growth. It is an adaption to a new end, by a selective process, of a distinction previously existing and well established in men's habits of thought.

出处: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/833
定位:Excerpt 46 · 核对日期:2026-10-19 · 核验:短摘录

白话

早在“贵妇”出现之前的经济演化阶段,作为财力证明的专门化消费就已开始形成某种精细体系。消费分化的起点甚至早于任何可称为财力的东西。它可以追溯到掠夺文化的初始阶段,甚至有迹象表明这种分化在掠夺生活开始之前就已萌芽。这种最原始的消费分化与后来我们熟悉的分化一样,很大程度上是仪式性的;但不同之处在于,它不基于积累财富的差异。消费作为财富证明的效用应被视为派生的发展:它是通过选择过程,将先前已牢固确立于思维习惯中的区分适应于新目的。

上下文

凡勃伦追溯消费分化的起源,认为它早于财力差异,是仪式性区分的派生。

今日一问

你今天的哪些消费区分,其实源于古老的仪式而非实际需要?

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