The Idea of Luxury : A Conceptual and Historical Investigation, Hardback Book

The Idea of Luxury : A Conceptual and Historical Investigation Hardback

Part of the Ideas in Context series

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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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