首页 >出版文学> The Theory of the Leisure Class>第36章
  Itwillbetothepoint,however,tonotethegeneraleconomiccharacterofdevoutconsumption,incomparisonwithconsumptionforotherpurposes。Anindicationoftherangeofmotivesandpurposesfromwhichdevoutconsumptionofgoodsproceedswillhelptowardanappreciationofthevaluebothofthisconsumptionitselfandofthegeneralhabitofmindtowhichitiscongenial。Thereisastrikingparallelism,ifnotratherasubstantialidentityofmotive,betweentheconsumptionwhichgoestotheserviceofananthropomorphicdivinityandthatwhichgoestotheserviceofagentlemanofleisurechieftainorpatriarch——intheupperclassofsocietyduringthebarbarianculture。Bothinthecaseofthechieftainandinthatofthedivinitythereareexpensiveedificessetapartforthebehoofofthepersonserved。Theseedifices,aswellasthepropertieswhichsupplementthemintheservice,mustnotbecommoninkindorgrade;theyalwaysshowalargeelementofconspicuouswaste。
  Itmayalsobenotedthatthedevoutedificesareinvariablyofanarchaiccastintheirstructureandfittings。Soalsotheservants,bothofthechieftainandofthedivinity,mustappearinthepresenceclothedingarmentsofaspecial,ornatecharacter。Thecharacteristiceconomicfeatureofthisapparelisamorethanordinarilyaccentuatedconspicuouswaste,togetherwiththesecondaryfeature——moreaccentuatedinthecaseofthepriestlyservantsthaninthatoftheservantsorcourtiersofthebarbarianpotentate——thatthiscourtdressmustalwaysbeinsomedegreeofanarchaicfashion。Alsothegarmentswornbythelaymembersofthecommunitywhentheycomeintothepresence,shouldbeofamoreexpensivekindthantheireverydayapparel。Here,again,theparallelismbetweentheusageofthechieftain’saudiencehallandthatofthesanctuaryisfairlywellmarked。Inthisrespectthereisrequiredacertainceremonial“cleanness“ofattire,theessentialfeatureofwhich,intheeconomicrespect,isthatthegarmentswornontheseoccasionsshouldcarryaslittlesuggestionasmaybeofanyindustrialoccupationorofanyhabitualaddictiontosuchemploymentsasareofmaterialuse。
  Thisrequirementofconspicuouswasteandofceremonialcleannessfromthetracesofindustryextendsalsototheapparel,andinalessdegreetothefood,whichisconsumedonsacredholidays;thatistosay,ondayssetapart——tabu——forthedivinityorforsomememberofthelowerranksofthepreternaturalleisureclass。Ineconomictheory,sacredholidaysareobviouslytobeconstruedasaseasonofvicariousleisureperformedforthedivinityorsaintinwhosenamethetabuisimposedandtowhosegoodreputetheabstentionfromusefuleffortonthesedaysisconceivedtoinure。Thecharacteristicfeatureofallsuchseasonsofdevoutvicariousleisureisamoreorlessrigidtabuonallactivitythatisofhumanuse。Inthecaseoffast-daystheconspicuousabstentionfromgainfuloccupationsandfromallpursuitsthatmateriallyfurtherhumanlifeisfurtheraccentuatedbycompulsoryabstinencefromsuchconsumptionaswouldconducetothecomfortorthefullnessoflifeoftheconsumer。
  Itmayberemarked,parenthetically,thatsecularholidaysareofthesameorigin,byslightlyremoterderivation。Theyshadeoffbydegreesfromthegenuinelysacreddays,throughanintermediateclassofsemi-sacredbirthdaysofkingsandgreatmenwhohavebeeninsomemeasurecanonized,tothedeliberatelyinventedholidaysetaparttofurtherthegoodreputeofsomenotableeventorsomestrikingfact,towhichitisintendedtodohonor,orthegoodfameofwhichisfelttobeinneedofrepair。Theremoterrefinementintheemploymentofvicariousleisureasameansofaugmentingthegoodreputeofaphenomenonordatumisseenatitsbestinitsverylatestapplication。A
  dayofvicariousleisurehasinsomecommunitiesbeensetapartasLaborDay。Thisobservanceisdesignedtoaugmenttheprestigeofthefactoflabor,bythearchaic,predatorymethodofacompulsoryabstentionfromusefuleffort。Tothisdatumoflabor-in-generalisimputedthegoodreputeattributabletothepecuniarystrengthputinevidencebyabstainingfromlabor。
  Sacredholidays,andholidaysgenerally,areofthenatureofatributeleviedonthebodyofthepeople。Thetributeispaidinvicariousleisure,andthehonorificeffectwhichemergesisimputedtothepersonorthefactforwhosegoodreputetheholidayhasbeeninstituted。Suchatitheofvicariousleisureisaperquisiteofallmembersofthepreternaturalleisureclassandisindispensabletotheirgoodfame。Unsaintqu’onnech鬽epasisindeedasaintfallenonevildays。
  Besidesthistitheofvicariousleisureleviedonthelaity,therearealsospecialclassesofpersons——thevariousgradesofpriestsandhierodules——whosetimeiswhollysetapartforasimilarservice。Itisnotonlyincumbentonthepriestlyclasstoabstainfromvulgarlabor,especiallysofarasitislucrativeorisapprehendedtocontributetothetemporalwell-beingofmankind。Thetabuinthecaseofthepriestlyclassgoesfartherandaddsarefinementintheformofaninjunctionagainsttheirseekingworldlygainevenwhereitmaybehadwithoutdebasingapplicationtoindustry。Itisfelttoheunworthyoftheservantofthedivinity,orratherunworthythedignityofthedivinitywhoseservantheis,thatheshouldseekmaterialgainortakethoughtfortemporalmatters。“OfallcontemptiblethingsamanwhopretendstobeapriestofGodandisapriesttohisowncomfortsandambitionsisthemostcontemptible。“Thereisalineofdiscrimination,whichacultivatedtasteinmattersofdevoutobservancefindslittledifficultyindrawing,betweensuchactionsandconductasconducetothefullnessofhumanlifeandsuchasconducetothegoodfameoftheanthropomorphicdivinity;andtheactivityofthepriestlyclass,intheidealbarbarianscheme,fallswhollyonthehithersideofthisline。Whatfallswithintherangeofeconomicsfallsbelowtheproperlevelofsolicitudeofthepriesthoodinitsbestestate。Suchapparentexceptionstothisruleasareafforded,forinstance,bysomeofthemedievalordersofmonksthemembersofwhichactuallylaboredtosomeusefulend,scarcelyimpugntherule。Theseoutlyingordersofthepriestlyclassarenotasacerdotalelementinthefullsenseoftheterm。Anditisnoticeablealsothatthesedoubtfullysacerdotalorders,whichcountenancedtheirmembersinearningaliving,fellintodisreputethroughoffendingthesenseofproprietyinthecommunitieswheretheyexisted。
  Thepriestshouldnotputhishandtomechanicallyproductivework;butheshouldconsumeinlargemeasure。Butevenasregardshisconsumptionitistobenotedthatitshouldtakesuchformsasdonotobviouslyconducetohisowncomfortorfullnessoflife;itshouldconformtotherulesgoverningvicariousconsumption,asexplainedunderthatheadinanearlierchapter。Itisnotordinarilyingoodformforthepriestlyclasstoappearwellfedorinhilariousspirits。Indeed,inmanyofthemoreelaboratecultstheinjunctionagainstotherthanvicariousconsumptionbythisclassfrequentlygoessofarastoenjoinmortificationoftheflesh。Andeveninthosemoderndenominationswhichhavebeenorganizedunderthelatestformulationsofthecreed,inamodernindustrialcommunity,itisfeltthatalllevityandavowedzestintheenjoymentofthegoodthingsofthisworldisalientothetrueclericaldecorum。
  Whateversuggeststhattheseservantsofaninvisiblemasterarelivingalife,notofdevotiontotheirmaster’sgoodfame,butofapplicationtotheirownends,jarsharshlyonoursensibilitiesassomethingfundamentallyandeternallywrong。
  Theyareaservantclass,although,beingservantsofaveryexaltedmaster,theyrankhighinthesocialscalebyvirtueofthisborrowedlight。Theirconsumptionisvicariousconsumption;
  andsince,intheadvancedcults,theirmasterhasnoneedofmaterialgain,theiroccupationisvicariousleisureinthefullsense。“Whetherthereforeyeeat,ordrink,orwhatsoeveryedo,doalltothegloryofGod。“Itmaybeaddedthatsofarasthelaityisassimilatedtothepriesthoodintherespectthattheyareconceivedtoheservantsofthedivinity。sofarthisimputedvicariouscharacterattachesalsotothelayman’slife。Therangeofapplicationofthiscorollaryissomewhatwide。Itappliesespeciallytosuchmovementsforthereformorrehabilitationofthereligiouslifeasareofanaustere,pietistic,asceticcast——wherethehumansubjectisconceivedtoholdhislifebyadirectserviletenurefromhisspiritualsovereign。Thatistosay,wheretheinstitutionofthepriesthoodlapses,orwherethereisanexceptionallylivelysenseoftheimmediateandmasterfulpresenceofthedivinityintheaffairsoflife,therethelaymanisconceivedtostandinanimmediateservilerelationtothedivinity,andhislifeisconstruedtobeaperformanceofvicariousleisuredirectedtotheenhancementofhismaster’srepute。Insuchcasesofreversionthereisareturntotheunmediatedrelationofsubservience,asthedominantfactofthedevoutattitude。Theemphasisistherebythrowonanaustereanddiscomfortingvicariousleisure,totheneglectofconspicuousconsumptionasameansofgrace。
  Adoubtwillpresentitselfastothefulllegitimacyofthischaracterizationofthesacerdotalschemeoflife,onthegroundthataconsiderableproportionofthemodernpriesthooddepartsfromtheschemeinmanydetails。Theschemedoesnotholdgoodfortheclergyofthosedenominationswhichhaveinsomemeasuredivergedfromtheoldestablishedscheduleofbeliefsorobservances。Thesetakethought,atleastostensiblyorpermissively,forthetemporalwelfareofthelaity,aswellasfortheirown。Theirmanneroflife,notonlyintheprivacyoftheirownhousehold,butoftenevenbeforethepublic,doesnotdifferinanextremedegreefromthatofsecular-mindedpersons,eitherinitsostensibleausterityorinthearchaismofitsapparatus。Thisistruestforthosedenominationsthathavewanderedthefarthest。Tothisobjectionitistobesaidthatwehaveheretodonotwithadiscrepancyinthetheoryofsacerdotallife,butwithanimperfectconformitytotheschemeonthepartofthisbodyofclergy。Theyarebutapartialandimperfectrepresentativeofthepriesthood,andmustnotbetakenasexhibitingthesacerdotalschemeoflifeinanauthenticandcompetentmanner。Theclergyofthesectsanddenominationsmightbecharacterizedasahalf-castepriesthood,orapriesthoodinprocessofbecomingorofreconstitution。Suchapriesthoodmaybeexpectedtoshowthecharacteristicsofthesacerdotalofficeonlyasblendedandobscuredwithalienmotivesandtraditions,duetothedisturbingpresenceofotherfactorsthanthoseofanimismandstatusinthepurposesoftheorganizationstowhichthisnon-conformingfractionofthepriesthoodbelongs。
  Appealmaybetakendirecttothetasteofanypersonwithadiscriminatingandcultivatedsenseofthesacerdotalproprieties,ortotheprevalentsenseofwhatconstitutesclericaldecoruminanycommunityatallaccustomedtothinkortopasscriticismonwhataclergymanmayormaynotdowithoutblame。Eveninthemostextremelysecularizeddenominations,thereissomesenseofadistinctionthatshouldbeobservedbetweenthesacerdotalandthelayschemeoflife。Thereisnopersonofsensibilitybutfeelsthatwherethemembersofthisdenominationalorsectarianclergydepartfromtraditionalusage,inthedirectionofalessaustereorlessarchaicdemeanorandapparel,theyaredepartingfromtheidealofpriestlydecorum。
  ThereisprobablynocommunityandnosectwithintherangeoftheWesterncultureinwhichtheboundsofpermissibleindulgencearenotdrawnappreciablycloserfortheincumbentofthepriestlyofficethanforthecommonlayman。Ifthepriest’sownsenseofsacerdotalproprietydoesnoteffectuallyimposealimit,theprevalentsenseoftheproprietiesonthepartofthecommunitywillcommonlyassertitselfsoobtrusivelyastoleadtohisconformityorhisretirementfromoffice。
  Fewifanymembersofanybodyofclergy,itmaybeadded,wouldavowedlyseekanincreaseofsalaryforgain’ssake;andifsuchavowalwereopenlymadebyaclergyman,itwouldbefoundobnoxioustothesenseofproprietyamonghiscongregation。Itmayalsobenotedinthisconnectionthatnoonebutthescoffersandtheveryobtusearenotinstinctivelygrievedinwardlyatajestfromthepulpit;andthattherearenonewhoserespectfortheirpastordoesnotsufferthroughanymarkoflevityonhispartinanyconjunctureoflife,exceptitbelevityofapalpablyhistrionickind——aconstrainedunbendingofdignity。
  Thedictionpropertothesanctuaryandtothepriestlyofficeshouldalsocarrylittleifanysuggestionofeffectiveeverydaylife,andshouldnotdrawuponthevocabularyofmoderntradeorindustry。Likewise,one’ssenseoftheproprietiesisreadilyoffendedbytoodetailedandintimateahandlingofindustrialandotherpurelyhumanquestionsatthehandsoftheclergy。
  Thereisacertainlevelofgeneralitybelowwhichacultivatedsenseoftheproprietiesinhomileticaldiscoursewillnotpermitawell-bredclergymantodeclineinhisdiscussionoftemporalinterests。Thesemattersthatareofhumanandsecularconsequencesimply,shouldproperlybehandledwithsuchadegreeofgeneralityandaloofnessasmayimplythatthespeakerrepresentsamasterwhoseinterestinsecularaffairsgoesonlysofarastopermissivelycountenancethem。