Duringthepredatorystageproper，andespeciallyduringtheearlierstagesofthequasi-peaceabledevelopmentofindustrythatfollowsthepredatorystage，alifeofleisureisthereadiestandmostconclusiveevidenceofpecuniarystrength，andthereforeofsuperiorforce；providedalwaysthatthegentlemanofleisurecanliveinmanifesteaseandcomfort。Atthisstagewealthconsistschieflyofslaves，andthebenefitsaccruingfromthepossessionofrichesandpowertaketheformchieflyofpersonalserviceandtheimmediateproductsofpersonalservice。
Conspicuousabstentionfromlabourthereforebecomestheconventionalmarkofsuperiorpecuniaryachievementandtheconventionalindexofreputability；andconversely，sinceapplicationtoproductivelabourisamarkofpovertyandsubjection，itbecomesinconsistentwithareputablestandinginthecommunity。Habitsofindustryandthrift，therefore，arenotuniformlyfurtheredbyaprevailingpecuniaryemulation。Onthecontrary，thiskindofemulationindirectlydiscountenancesparticipationinproductivelabour。Labourwouldunavoidablybecomedishonourable，asbeinganevidenceindecorousundertheancienttraditionhandeddownfromanearlierculturalstage。Theancienttraditionofthepredatorycultureisthatproductiveeffortistobeshunnedasbeingunworthyofable-bodiedmen。andthistraditionisreinforcedratherthansetasideinthepassagefromthepredatorytothequasi-peaceablemanneroflife。
Eveniftheinstitutionofaleisureclasshadnotcomeinwiththefirstemergenceofindividualownership，byforceofthedishonourattachingtoproductiveemployment，itwouldinanycasehavecomeinasoneoftheearlyconsequencesofownership。
Anditistoberemarkedthatwhiletheleisureclassexistedintheoryfromthebeginningofpredatoryculture，theinstitutiontakesonanewandfullermeaningwiththetransitionfromthepredatorytothenextsucceedingpecuniarystageofculture。Itisfromthistimefortha“leisureclass“infactaswellasintheory。Fromthispointdatestheinstitutionoftheleisureclassinitsconsummateform。
Duringthepredatorystageproperthedistinctionbetweentheleisureandthelabouringclassisinsomedegreeaceremonialdistinctiononly。Theablebodiedmenjealouslystandalooffromwhateverisintheirapprehension，menialdrudgery；
buttheiractivityinfactcontributesappreciablytothesustenanceofthegroup。Thesubsequentstageofquasi-peaceableindustryisusuallycharacterisedbyanestablishedchattelslavery，herdsofcattle，andaservileclassofherdsmenandshepherds；industryhasadvancedsofarthatthecommunityisnolongerdependentforitslivelihoodonthechaseoronanyotherformofactivitythatcanfairlybeclassedasexploit。Fromthispointon，thecharacteristicfeatureofleisureclasslifeisaconspicuousexemptionfromallusefulemployment。
Thenormalandcharacteristicoccupationsoftheclassinthismaturephaseofitslifehistoryareinformverymuchthesameasinitsearlierdays。Theseoccupationsaregovernment，war，sports，anddevoutobservances。Personsundulygiventodifficulttheoreticalnicetiesmayholdthattheseoccupationsarestillincidentallyandindirectly“productive“；butitistobenotedasdecisiveofthequestioninhandthattheordinaryandostensiblemotiveoftheleisureclassinengagingintheseoccupationsisassuredlynotanincreaseofwealthbyproductiveeffort。Atthisasatanyotherculturalstage，governmentandwarare，atleastinpart，carriedonforthepecuniarygainofthosewhoengageinthem；butitisgainobtainedbythehonourablemethodofseizureandconversion。Theseoccupationsareofthenatureofpredatory，notofproductive，employment。
Somethingsimilarmaybesaidofthechase，butwithadifference。Asthecommunitypassesoutofthehuntingstageproper，huntinggraduallybecomesdifferentiatedintotwodistinctemployments。Ontheonehanditisatrade，carriedonchieflyforgain；andfromthistheelementofexploitisvirtuallyabsent，oritisatanyratenotpresentinasufficientdegreetoclearthepursuitoftheimputationofgainfulindustry。Ontheotherhand，thechaseisalsoasport-猘nexerciseofthepredatoryimpulsesimply。Assuchitdoesnotaffordanyappreciablepecuniaryincentive，butitcontainsamoreorlessobviouselementofexploit。Itisthislatterdevelopmentofthechase——purgedofallimputationofhandicraft——thataloneismeritoriousandfairlybelongsintheschemeoflifeofthedevelopedleisureclass。
Abstentionfromlabourisnotonlyahonorificormeritoriousact，butitpresentlycomestobearequisiteofdecency。Theinsistenceonpropertyasthebasisofreputabilityisverynaiveandveryimperiousduringtheearlystagesoftheaccumulationofwealth。Abstentionfromlabouristheconvenientevidenceofwealthandisthereforetheconventionalmarkofsocialstanding；andthisinsistenceonthemeritoriousnessofwealthleadstoamorestrenuousinsistenceonleisure。Notanotaeestnotareiipsius。Accordingtowellestablishedlawsofhumannature，prescriptionpresentlyseizesuponthisconventionalevidenceofwealthandfixesitinmen’shabitsofthoughtassomethingthatisinitselfsubstantiallymeritoriousandennobling；whileproductivelabouratthesametimeandbyalikeprocessbecomesinadoublesenseintrinsicallyunworthy。
Prescriptionendsbymakinglabournotonlydisreputableintheeyesofthecommunity，butmorallyimpossibletothenoble，freebornman，andincompatiblewithaworthylife。
Thistabuonlabourhasafurtherconsequenceintheindustrialdifferentiationofclasses。Asthepopulationincreasesindensityandthepredatorygroupgrowsintoasettledindustrialcommunity，theconstitutedauthoritiesandthecustomsgoverningownershipgaininscopeandconsistency。Itthenpresentlybecomesimpracticabletoaccumulatewealthbysimpleseizure，and，inlogicalconsistency，acquisitionbyindustryisequallyimpossibleforhighmindedandimpecuniousmen。Thealternativeopentothemisbeggaryorprivation。Whereverthecanonofconspicuousleisurehasachanceundisturbedtoworkoutitstendency，therewillthereforeemergeasecondary，andinasensespurious，leisureclass——abjectlypoorandlivinginaprecariouslifeofwantanddiscomfort，butmorallyunabletostooptogainfulpursuits。Thedecayedgentlemanandtheladywhohasseenbetterdaysarebynomeansunfamiliarphenomenaevennow。Thispervadingsenseoftheindignityoftheslightestmanuallabourisfamiliartoallcivilizedpeoples，aswellastopeoplesofalessadvancedpecuniaryculture。Inpersonsofadelicatesensibilitywhohavelongbeenhabituatedtogentlemanners，thesenseoftheshamefulnessofmanuallabourmaybecomesostrongthat，atacriticaljuncture，itwillevensetasidetheinstinctofself-preservation。So，forinstance，wearetoldofcertainPolynesianchiefs，who，underthestressofgoodform，preferredtostarveratherthancarrytheirfoodtotheirmouthswiththeirownhands。Itistrue，thisconductmayhavebeendue，atleastinpart，toanexcessivesanctityortabuattachingtothechief’sperson。Thetabuwouldhavebeencommunicatedbythecontactofhishands，andsowouldhavemadeanythingtouchedbyhimunfitforhumanfood。Butthetabuisitselfaderivativeoftheunworthinessormoralincompatibilityoflabour；sothatevenwhenconstruedinthissensetheconductofthePolynesianchiefsistruertothecanonofhonorificleisurethanwouldatfirstappear。Abetterillustration，oratleastamoreunmistakableone，isaffordedbyacertainkingofFrance，whoissaidtohavelosthislifethroughanexcessofmoralstaminaintheobservanceofgoodform。Intheabsenceofthefunctionarywhoseofficeitwastoshifthismaster’sseat，thekingsatuncomplainingbeforethefireandsufferedhisroyalpersontobetoastedbeyondrecovery。ButinsodoinghesavedhisMostChristianMajestyfrommenialcontamination。Summumcredenefasanimampraeferrepudori，Etproptervitamvivendiperderecausas。
Ithasalreadybeenremarkedthattheterm“leisure“，ashereused，doesnotconnoteindolenceorquiescence。Whatitconnotesisnon-productiveconsumptionoftime。Timeisconsumednon-productively(1)fromasenseoftheunworthinessofproductivework，and(2)asanevidenceofpecuniaryabilitytoaffordalifeofidleness。Butthewholeofthelifeofthegentlemanofleisureisnotspentbeforetheeyesofthespectatorswhoaretobeimpressedwiththatspectacleofhonorificleisurewhichintheidealschememakesuphislife。
Forsomepartofthetimehislifeisperforcewithdrawnfromthepubliceye，andofthisportionwhichisspentinprivatethegentlemanofleisureshould，forthesakeofhisgoodname，beabletogiveaconvincingaccount。Heshouldfindsomemeansofputtinginevidencetheleisurethatisnotspentinthesightofthespectators。Thiscanbedoneonlyindirectly，throughtheexhibitionofsometangible，lastingresultsoftheleisuresospent——inamanneranalogoustothefamiliarexhibitionoftangible，lastingproductsofthelabourperformedforthegentlemanofleisurebyhandicraftsmenandservantsinhisemploy。
Thelastingevidenceofproductivelabourisitsmaterialproduct——commonlysomearticleofconsumption。Inthecaseofexploititissimilarlypossibleandusualtoprocuresometangibleresultthatmayserveforexhibitioninthewayoftrophyorbooty。atalaterphaseofthedevelopmentitiscustomarytoassumesomebadgeofinsigniaofhonourthatwillserveasaconventionallyacceptedmarkofexploit，andwhichatthesametimeindicatesthequantityordegreeofexploitofwhichitisthesymbol。Asthepopulationincreasesindensity，andashumanrelationsgrowmorecomplexandnumerous，allthedetailsoflifeundergoaprocessofelaborationandselection；
andinthisprocessofelaborationtheuseoftrophiesdevelopsintoasystemofrank，titles，degreesandinsignia，typicalexamplesofwhichareheraldicdevices，medals，andhonorarydecorations。
Asseenfromtheeconomicpointofview，leisure，consideredasanemployment，iscloselyalliedinkindwiththelifeofexploit；andtheachievementswhichcharacterisealifeofleisure，andwhichremainasitsdecorouscriteria，havemuchincommonwiththetrophiesofexploit。Butleisureinthenarrowersense，asdistinctfromexploitandfromanyostensiblyproductiveemploymentofeffortonobjectswhichareofnointrinsicuse，doesnotcommonlyleaveamaterialproduct。Thecriteriaofapastperformanceofleisurethereforecommonlytaketheformof“immaterial“goods。Suchimmaterialevidencesofpastleisurearequasi-scholarlyorquasi-artisticaccomplishmentsandaknowledgeofprocessesandincidentswhichdonotconducedirectlytothefurtheranceofhumanlife。So，forinstance，inourtimethereistheknowledgeofthedeadlanguagesandtheoccultsciences；ofcorrectspelling；ofsyntaxandprosody；ofthevariousformsofdomesticmusicandotherhouseholdart；ofthelatestpropertiesofdress，furniture，andequipage；ofgames，sports，andfancy-bredanimals，suchasdogsandrace-horses。Inallthesebranchesofknowledgetheinitialmotivefromwhichtheiracquisitionproceededattheoutset，andthroughwhichtheyfirstcameintovogue，mayhavebeensomethingquitedifferentfromthewishtoshowthatone’stimehadnotbeenspentinindustrialemployment；butunlesstheseaccomplishmentshadapprovedthemselvesasserviceableevidenceofanunproductiveexpenditureoftime，theywouldnothavesurvivedandheldtheirplaceasconventionalaccomplishmentsoftheleisureclass。
Theseaccomplishmentsmay，insomesense，beclassedasbranchesoflearning。Besideandbeyondthesethereisafurtherrangeofsocialfactswhichshadeofffromtheregionoflearningintothatofphysicalhabitanddexterity。Sucharewhatisknownasmannersandbreeding，politeusage，decorum，andformalandceremonialobservancesgenerally。Thisclassoffactsareevenmoreimmediatelyandobtrusivelypresentedtotheobservation，andtheythereforemorewidelyandmoreimperativelyinsistedonasrequiredevidencesofareputabledegreeofleisure。Itisworthwhiletoremarkthatallthatclassofceremonialobservanceswhichareclassedunderthegeneralheadofmannersholdamoreimportantplaceintheesteemofmenduringthestageofcultureatwhichconspicuousleisurehasthegreatestvogueasamarkofreputability，thanatlaterstagesoftheculturaldevelopment。Thebarbarianofthequasi-peaceablestageofindustryisnotoriouslyamorehigh-bredgentleman，inallthatconcernsdecorum，thananybuttheveryexquisiteamongthemenofalaterage。Indeed，itiswellknown，oratleastitiscurrentlybelieved，thatmannershaveprogressivelydeterioratedassocietyhasrecededfromthepatriarchalstage。Manyagentlemanoftheoldschoolhasbeenprovokedtoremarkregretfullyupontheunder-bredmannersandbearingofeventhebetterclassesinthemodernindustrialcommunities；andthedecayoftheceremonialcode——orasitisotherwisecalled，thevulgarisationoflife——amongtheindustrialclassesproperhasbecomeoneofthechiefenormitiesoflatter-daycivilisationintheeyesofallpersonsofdelicatesensibilities。Thedecaywhichthecodehassufferedatthehandsofabusypeopletestifies——alldepreciationapart——tothefactthatdecorumisaproductandanexponentofleisureclasslifeandthrivesinfullmeasureonlyunderaregimeofstatus。
