首页 >出版文学> The Theory of the Leisure Class>第35章
  religion;andasiftoenforcetheargumentandfirmlyestablishthecloserelationshipbetweenthesportingtemperamentandthearchaicdevoutness,theselayreligiousbodiescommonlydevotesomeappreciableportionoftheirenergiestothefurtheranceofathleticcontestsandsimilargamesofchanceandskill。Itmightevenbesaidthatsportsofthiskindareapprehendedtohavesomeefficacyasameansofgrace。Theyareapparentlyusefulasameansofproselyting,andasameansofsustainingthedevoutattitudeinconvertsoncemade。Thatistosay,thegameswhichgiveexercisetotheanimisticsenseandtotheemulativepropensityhelptoformandtoconservethathabitofmindtowhichthemoreexotericcultsarecongenial。Hence,inthehandsofthelayorganizations,thesesportingactivitiescometododutyasanovitiateorameansofinductionintothatfullerunfoldingofthelifeofspiritualstatuswhichistheprivilegeofthefullcommunicantalong。
  Thattheexerciseoftheemulativeandloweranimisticproclivitiesaresubstantiallyusefulforthedevoutpurposeseemstobeplacedbeyondquestionbythefactthatthepriesthoodofmanydenominationsisfollowingtheleadofthelayorganizationsinthisrespect。Thoseecclesiasticalorganizationsespeciallywhichstandnearestthelayorganizationsintheirinsistenceonpracticalreligionhavegonesomewaytowardsadoptingtheseoranalogouspracticesinconnectionwiththetraditionaldevoutobservances。Sothereare“boys’brigades,“
  andotherorganizations,underclericalsanction,actingtodeveloptheemulativeproclivityandthesenseofstatusintheyouthfulmembersofthecongregation。Thesepseudo-militaryorganizationstendtoelaborateandaccentuatetheproclivitytoemulationandinvidiouscomparison,andsostrengthenthenativefacilityfordiscerningandapprovingtherelationofpersonalmasteryandsubservience。Andabelieveriseminentlyapersonwhoknowshowtoobeyandacceptchastisementwithgoodgrace。
  Butthehabitsofthoughtwhichthesepracticesfosterandconservemakeupbutonehalfofthesubstanceoftheanthropomorphiccults。Theother,complementaryelementofdevoutlife——theanimistichabitofmind——isrecruitedandconservedbyasecondrangeofpracticesorganizedunderclericalsanction。
  Thesearetheclassofgamblingpracticesofwhichthechurchbazaarorrafflemaybetakenasthetype。Asindicatingthedegreeoflegitimacyofthesepracticesinconnectionwithdevoutobservancesproper,itistoberemarkedthattheseraffles,andtheliketrivialopportunitiesforgambling,seemtoappealwithmoreeffecttothecommonrunofthemembersofreligiousorganizationsthantheydotopersonsofalessdevouthabitofmind。
  Allthisseemstoargue,ontheonehand,thatthesametemperamentinclinespeopletosportsasinclinesthemtotheanthropomorphiccults,andontheotherhandthatthehabituationtosports,perhapsespeciallytoathleticsports,actstodevelopthepropensitieswhichfindsatisfactionindevoutobservances。
  Conversely;italsoappearsthathabituationtotheseobservancesfavorsthegrowthofaproclivityforathleticsportsandforallgamesthatgiveplaytothehabitofinvidiouscomparisonandoftheappealtoluck。Substantiallythesamerangeofpropensitiesfindsexpressioninboththesedirectionsofthespirituallife。
  Thatbarbarianhumannatureinwhichthepredatoryinstinctandtheanimisticstandpointpredominateisnormallypronetoboth。
  Thepredatoryhabitofmindinvolvesanaccentuatedsenseofpersonaldignityandoftherelativestandingofindividuals。Thesocialstructureinwhichthepredatoryhabithasbeenthedominantfactorintheshapingofinstitutionsisastructurebasedonstatus。Thepervadingnorminthepredatorycommunity’sschemeoflifeistherelationofsuperiorandinferior,nobleandbase,dominantandsubservientpersonsandclasses,masterandslave。Theanthropomorphiccultshavecomedownfromthatstageofindustrialdevelopmentandhavebeenshapedbythesameschemeofeconomicdifferentiation——adifferentiationintoconsumerandproducer——andtheyarepervadedbythesamedominantprincipleofmasteryandsubservience。Thecultsimputetotheirdivinitythehabitsofthoughtansweringtothestageofeconomicdifferentiationatwhichthecultstookshape。Theanthropomorphicdivinityisconceivedtobepunctiliousinallquestionsofprecedenceandispronetoanassertionofmasteryandanarbitraryexerciseofpower——anhabitualresorttoforceasthefinalarbiter。
  Inthelaterandmaturerformulationsoftheanthropomorphiccreedthisimputedhabitofdominanceonthepartofadivinityofawfulpresenceandinscrutablepowerischastenedinto“thefatherhoodofGod。“Thespiritualattitudeandtheaptitudesimputedtothepreternaturalagentarestillsuchasbelongundertheregimeofstatus,buttheynowassumethepatriarchalcastcharacteristicofthequasi-peaceablestageofculture。Stillitistobenotedthateveninthisadvancedphaseoftheculttheobservancesinwhichdevoutnessfindsexpressionconsistentlyaimtopropitiatethedivinitybyextollinghisgreatnessandgloryandbyprofessingsubservienceandfealty。Theactofpropitiationorofworshipisdesignedtoappealtoasenseofstatusimputedtotheinscrutablepowerthatisthusapproached。
  Thepropitiatoryformulasmostinvoguearestillsuchascarryorimplyaninvidiouscomparison。Aloyalattachmenttothepersonofananthropomorphicdivinityendowedwithsuchanarchaichumannatureimpliesthelikearchaicpropensitiesinthedevotee。Forthepurposesofeconomictheory,therelationoffealty,whethertoaphysicalortoanextraphysicalperson,istobetakenasavariantofthatpersonalsubserviencewhichmakesupsolargeashareofthepredatoryandthequasi-peaceableschemeoflife。
  Thebarbarianconceptionofthedivinity,asawarlikechieftaininclinedtoanoverbearingmannerofgovernment,hasbeengreatlysoftenedthroughthemildermannersandthesobererhabitsoflifethatcharacterizethoseculturalphaseswhichliebetweentheearlypredatorystageandthepresent。Butevenafterthischasteningofthedevoutfancy,andtheconsequentmitigationoftheharshertraitsofconductandcharacterthatarecurrentlyimputedtothedivinity,therestillremainsinthepopularapprehensionofthedivinenatureandtemperamentaverysubstantialresidueofthebarbarianconception。Soitcomesabout,forinstance,thatincharacterizingthedivinityandhisrelationstotheprocessofhumanlife,speakersandwritersarestillabletomakeeffectiveuseofsimilesborrowedfromthevocabularyofwarandofthepredatorymanneroflife,aswellasoflocutionswhichinvolveaninvidiouscomparison。Figuresofspeechofthisimportareusedwithgoodeffecteveninaddressingthelesswarlikemodernaudiences,madeupofadherentsoftheblandervariantsofthecreed。Thiseffectiveuseofbarbarianepithetsandtermsofcomparisonbypopularspeakersarguesthatthemoderngenerationhasretainedalivelyappreciationofthedignityandmeritofthebarbarianvirtues;
  anditarguesalsothatthereisadegreeofcongruitybetweenthedevoutattitudeandthepredatoryhabitofmind。Itisonlyonsecondthought,ifatall,thatthedevoutfancyofmodernworshippersrevoltsattheimputationofferociousandvengefulemotionsandactionstotheobjectoftheiradoration。Itisamatterofcommonobservationthatsanguinaryepithetsappliedtothedivinityhaveahighaestheticandhonorificvalueinthepopularapprehension。Thatistosay,suggestionswhichtheseepithetscarryareveryacceptabletoourunreflectingapprehension。
  MineeyeshaveseenthegloryofthecomingoftheLord:
  Heistramplingoutthevintagewherethegrapesofwratharestored;
  Hehathloosedthefatefullightningofhisterribleswiftsword;
  Histruthismarchingon。
  Theguidinghabitsofthoughtofadevoutpersonmoveontheplaneofanarchaicschemeoflifewhichhasoutlivedmuchofitsusefulnessfortheeconomicexigenciesofthecollectivelifeoftoday。Insofarastheeconomicorganizationfitstheexigenciesofthecollectivelifeoftoday,ithasoutlivedtheregimeofstatus,andhasnouseandnoplaceforarelationofpersonalsubserviency。Sofarasconcernstheeconomicefficiencyofthecommunity,thesentimentofpersonalfealty,andthegeneralhabitofmindofwhichthatsentimentisanexpression,aresurvivalswhichcumberthegroundandhinderanadequateadjustmentofhumaninstitutionstotheexistingsituation。Thehabitofmindwhichbestlendsitselftothepurposesofapeaceable,industrialcommunity,isthatmatter-of-facttemperwhichrecognizesthevalueofmaterialfactssimplyasopaqueitemsinthemechanicalsequence。Itisthatframeofmindwhichdoesnotinstinctivelyimputeananimisticpropensitytothings,norresorttopreternaturalinterventionasanexplanationofperplexingphenomena,nordependonanunseenhandtoshapethecourseofeventstohumanuse。Tomeettherequirementsofthehighesteconomicefficiencyundermodernconditions,theworldprocessmusthabituallybeapprehendedintermsofquantitative,dispassionateforceandsequence。
  Asseenfromthepointofviewofthelatereconomicexigencies,devoutnessis,perhapsinallcases,tobelookeduponasasurvivalfromanearlierphaseofassociatedlife——amarkofarrestedspiritualdevelopment。Ofcourseitremainstruethatinacommunitywheretheeconomicstructureisstillsubstantiallyasystemofstatus;wheretheattitudeoftheaverageofpersonsinthecommunityisconsequentlyshapedbyandadaptedtotherelationofpersonaldominanceandpersonalsubservience;orwhereforanyotherreason——oftraditionorofinheritedaptitude——thepopulationasawholeisstronglyinclinedtodevoutobservances;thereadevouthabitofmindinanyindividual,notinexcessoftheaverageofthecommunity,mustbetakensimplyasadetailoftheprevalenthabitoflife。
  Inthislight,adevoutindividualinadevoutcommunitycannotbecalledacaseofreversion,sinceheisabreastoftheaverageofthecommunity。Butasseenfromthepointofviewofthemodernindustrialsituation,exceptionaldevoutness——devotionalzealthatrisesappreciablyabovetheaveragepitchofdevoutnessinthecommunity——maysafelybesetdownasinallcasesanatavistictrait。
  Itis,ofcourse,equallylegitimatetoconsiderthesephenomenafromadifferentpointofview。Theymaybeappreciatedforadifferentpurpose,andthecharacterizationhereofferedmaybeturnedabout。Inspeakingfromthepointofviewofthedevotionalinterest,ortheinterestofdevouttaste,itmay,withequalcogency,besaidthatthespiritualattitudebredinmenbythemodernindustriallifeisunfavorabletoafreedevelopmentofthelifeoffaith。Itmightfairlybeobjectedtothelaterdevelopmentoftheindustrialprocessthatitsdisciplinetendsto“materialism,“totheeliminationoffilialpiety。Fromtheaestheticpointofview,again,somethingtoasimilarpurportmightbesaid。But,howeverlegitimateandvaluabletheseandthelikereflectionsmaybefortheirpurpose,theywouldnotbeinplaceinthepresentinquiry,whichisexclusivelyconcernedwiththevaluationofthesephenomenafromtheeconomicpointofview。
  Thegraveeconomicsignificanceoftheanthropomorphichabitofmindandoftheaddictiontodevoutobservancesmustserveasapologyforspeakingfurtheronatopicwhichitcannotbutbedistastefultodiscussatallasaneconomicphenomenoninacommunitysodevoutasours。Devoutobservancesareofeconomicimportanceasanindexofaconcomitantvariationoftemperament,accompanyingthepredatoryhabitofmindandsoindicatingthepresenceofindustriallydisserviceabletraits。Theyindicatethepresenceofamentalattitudewhichhasacertaineconomicvalueofitsownbyvirtueofitsinfluenceupontheindustrialserviceabilityoftheindividual。Buttheyarealsoofimportancemoredirectly,inmodifyingtheeconomicactivitiesofthecommunity,especiallyasregardsthedistributionandconsumptionofgoods。
  Themostobviouseconomicbearingoftheseobservancesisseeninthedevoutconsumptionofgoodsandservices。Theconsumptionofceremonialparaphernaliarequiredbyanycult,inthewayofshrines,temples,churches,vestments,sacrifices,sacraments,holidayattire,etc。,servesnoimmediatematerialend。Allthismaterialapparatusmay,therefore,withoutimplyingdeprecation,bebroadlycharacterizedasitemsofconspicuouswaste。Thelikeistrueinageneralwayofthepersonalserviceconsumedunderthishead;suchaspriestlyeducation,priestlyservice,pilgrimages,fasts,holidays,householddevotions,andthelike。Atthesametimetheobservancesintheexecutionofwhichthisconsumptiontakesplaceservetoextendandprotractthevogueofthosehabitsofthoughtonwhichananthropomorphiccultrests。Thatistosay,theyfurtherthehabitsofthoughtcharacteristicoftheregimeofstatus。Theyareinsofaranobstructiontothemosteffectiveorganizationofindustryundermoderncircumstances;andare,inthefirstinstance,antagonistictothedevelopmentofeconomicinstitutionsinthedirectionrequiredbythesituationoftoday。Forthepresentpurpose,theindirectaswellasthedirecteffectsofthisconsumptionareofthenatureofacurtailmentofthecommunity’seconomicefficiency。Ineconomictheory,then,andconsideredinitsproximateconsequences,theconsumptionofgoodsandeffortintheserviceofananthropomorphicdivinitymeansaloweringofthevitalityofthecommunity。Whatmaybetheremoter,indirect,moraleffectsofthisclassofconsumptiondoesnotadmitofasuccinctanswer,anditisaquestionwhichcannotbetakenuphere。