第38章

类别:其他 作者:Thorstein Veblen字数:5830更新时间:18/12/26 16:50:16
Stillthemenofthisclassarealsonotdevoidofpiety,althoughitiscommonlynotpietyofanaggressiveorexuberantkind。Themenoftheuppermiddleclasscommonlytakeamorecomplacentattitudetowardsdevoutobservancesthanthemenoftheartisanclass。Thismayperhapsbeexplainedinpartbysayingthatwhatistrueofthewomenoftheclassistruetoalessextentalsoofthemen。Theyaretoanappreciableextentashelteredclass;andthepatriarchalrelationofstatuswhichstillpersistsintheirconjugallifeandintheirhabitualuseofservants,mayalsoacttoconserveanarchaichabitofmindandmayexercisearetardinginfluenceupontheprocessofsecularizationwhichtheirhabitsofthoughtareundergoing。TherelationsoftheAmericanmiddle-classmantotheeconomiccommunity,however,areusuallyprettycloseandexacting; althoughitmayberemarked,bythewayandinqualification,thattheireconomicactivityfrequentlyalsopartakesinsomedegreeofthepatriarchalorquasi-predatorycharacter。Theoccupationswhichareingoodreputeamongthisclassandwhichhavemosttodowithshapingtheclasshabitsofthought,arethepecuniaryoccupationswhichhavebeenspokenofinasimilarconnectioninanearlierchapter。Thereisagooddealoftherelationofarbitrarycommandandsubmission,andnotalittleofshrewdpractice,remotelyakintopredatoryfraud。Allthisbelongsontheplaneoflifeofthepredatorybarbarian,towhomadevotionalattitudeishabitual。Andinadditiontothis,thedevoutobservancesalsocommendthemselvestothisclassonthegroundofreputability。Butthislatterincentivetopietydeservestreatmentbyitselfandwillbespokenofpresently。 ThereisnohereditaryleisureclassofanyconsequenceintheAmericancommunity,exceptintheSouth。ThisSouthernleisureclassissomewhatgiventodevoutobservances;moresothananyclassofcorrespondingpecuniarystandinginotherpartsofthecountry。ItisalsowellknownthatthecreedsoftheSouthareofamoreold-fashionedcastthantheircounterpartsintheNorth。CorrespondingtothismorearchaicdevotionallifeoftheSouthisthelowerindustrialdevelopmentofthatsection。 TheindustrialorganizationoftheSouthisatpresent,andespeciallyithasbeenuntilquiterecently,ofamoreprimitivecharacterthanthatoftheAmericancommunitytakenasawhole。 Itapproachesnearertohandicraft,inthepaucityandrudenessofitsmechanicalappliances,andthereismoreoftheelementofmasteryandsubservience。Itmayalsobenotedthat,owingtothepeculiareconomiccircumstancesofthissection,thegreaterdevoutnessoftheSouthernpopulation,bothwhiteandblack,iscorrelatedwithaschemeoflifewhichinmanywaysrecallsthebarbarianstagesofindustrialdevelopment。Amongthispopulationoffensesofanarchaiccharacteralsoareandhavebeenrelativelymoreprevalentandarelessdeprecatedthantheyareelsewhere;as,forexample,duels,brawls,feuds,drunkenness,horse-racing,cock-fighting,gambling,malesexualincontinence(evidencedbytheconsiderablenumberofmulattoes)。Thereisalsoaliveliersenseofhonor——anexpressionofsportsmanshipandaderivativeofpredatorylife。 AsregardsthewealthierclassoftheNorth,theAmericanleisureclassinthebestsenseoftheterm,itis,tobeginwith,scarcelypossibletospeakofanhereditarydevotionalattitude。Thisclassisoftoorecentgrowthtobepossessedofawell-formedtransmittedhabitinthisrespect,orevenofaspecialhome-growntradition。Still,itmaybenotedinpassingthatthereisaperceptibletendencyamongthisclasstogiveinatleastanominal,andapparentlysomethingofareal,adherencetosomeoneoftheaccreditedcreeds。Also,weddings,funerals,andthelikehonorificeventsamongthisclassareprettyuniformlysolemnizedwithsomeespecialdegreeofreligiouscircumstance。Itisimpossibletosayhowfarthisadherencetoacreedisabonafidereversiontoadevouthabitofmind,andhowfaritistobeclassedasacaseofprotectivemimicryassumedforthepurposeofanoutwardassimilationtocanonsofreputabilityborrowedfromforeignideals。Somethingofasubstantialdevotionalpropensityseemstobepresent,tojudgeespeciallybythesomewhatpeculiardegreeofritualisticobservancewhichisinprocessofdevelopmentintheupper-classcults。Thereisatendencyperceptibleamongtheupper-classworshipperstoaffiliatethemselveswiththosecultswhichlayrelativelygreatstressonceremonialandonthespectacularaccessoriesofworship;andinthechurchesinwhichanupper-classmembershippredominates,thereisatthesametimeatendencytoaccentuatetheritualistic,atthecostoftheintellectualfeaturesintheserviceandintheapparatusofthedevoutobservances。Thisholdstrueevenwherethechurchinquestionbelongstoadenominationwitharelativelyslightgeneraldevelopmentofritualandparaphernalia。Thispeculiardevelopmentoftheritualisticelementisnodoubtdueinparttoapredilectionforconspicuouslywastefulspectacles,butitprobablyalsoinpartindicatessomethingofthedevotionalattitudeoftheworshippers。Sofarasthelatteristrue,itindicatesarelativelyarchaicformofthedevotionalhabit。Thepredominanceofspectaculareffectsindevoutobservancesisnoticeableinalldevoutcommunitiesatarelativelyprimitivestageofcultureandwithaslightintellectualdevelopment。Itisespeciallycharacteristicofthebarbarianculture。Herethereisprettyuniformlypresentinthedevoutobservancesadirectappealtotheemotionsthroughalltheavenuesofsense。Andatendencytoreturntothisnaive,sensationalmethodofappealisunmistakableintheupper-classchurchesoftoday。Itisperceptibleinalessdegreeinthecultswhichclaimtheallegianceofthelowerleisureclassandofthemiddleclasses。 Thereisareversiontotheuseofcoloredlightsandbrilliantspectacles,afreeruseofsymbols,orchestralmusicandincense,andonemayevendetectin“processionals“and“recessionals“andinrichlyvariedgenuflexionalevolutions,anincipientreversiontosoantiqueanaccessoryofworshipasthesacreddance。 Thisreversiontospectacularobservancesisnotconfinedtotheupper-classcults,althoughitfindsitsbestexemplificationanditshighestaccentuationinthehigherpecuniaryandsocialaltitudes。Thecultsofthelower-classdevoutportionofthecommunity,suchastheSouthernNegroesandthebackwardforeignelementsofthepopulation,ofcoursealsoshowastronginclinationtoritual,symbolism,andspectaculareffects;asmightbeexpectedfromtheantecedentsandtheculturallevelofthoseclasses。Withtheseclassestheprevalenceofritualandanthropomorphismarenotsomuchamatterofreversionasofcontinueddevelopmentoutofthepast。Buttheuseofritualandrelatedfeaturesofdevotionarealsospreadinginotherdirections。IntheearlydaysoftheAmericancommunitytheprevailingdenominationsstartedoutwitharitualandparaphernaliaofanausteresimplicity;butitisamatterfamiliartoeveryonethatinthecourseoftimethesedenominationshave,inavaryingdegree,adoptedmuchofthespectacularelementswhichtheyoncerenounced。Inageneralway,thisdevelopmenthasgonehandinhandwiththegrowthofthewealthandtheeaseoflifeoftheworshippersandhasreacheditsfullestexpressionamongthoseclasseswhichgradehighestinwealthandrepute。 Thecausestowhichthispecuniarystratificationofdevoutnessisduehavealreadybeenindicatedinageneralwayinspeakingofclassdifferencesinhabitsofthought。Classdifferencesasregardsdevoutnessarebutaspecialexpressionofagenericfact。Thelaxallegianceofthelowermiddleclass,orwhatmaybroadlybecalledthefailureoffilialpietyamongthisclass,ischieflyperceptibleamongthetownpopulationsengagedinthemechanicalindustries。Inageneralway,onedoesnot,atthepresenttime,lookforablamelessfilialpietyamongthoseclasseswhoseemploymentapproachesthatoftheengineerandthemechanician。Thesemechanicalemploymentsareinadegreeamodernfact。Thehandicraftsmenofearliertimes,whoservedanindustrialendofacharactersimilartothatnowservedbythemechanician,werenotsimilarilyrefractoryunderthedisciplineofdevoutness。Thehabitualactivityofthemenengagedinthesebranchesofindustryhasgreatlychanged,asregardsitsintellectualdiscipline,sincethemodernindustrialprocesseshavecomeintovogue;andthedisciplinetowhichthemechanicianisexposedinhisdailyemploymentaffectsthemethodsandstandardsofhisthinkingalsoontopicswhichlieoutsidehiseverydaywork。Familiaritywiththehighlyorganizedandhighlyimpersonalindustrialprocessesofthepresentactstoderangetheanimistichabitsofthought。Theworkman’sofficeisbecomingmoreandmoreexclusivelythatofdiscretionandsupervisioninaprocessofmechanical,dispassionatesequences。Solongastheindividualisthechiefandtypicalprimemoverintheprocess; solongastheobtrusivefeatureoftheindustrialprocessisthedexterityandforceoftheindividualhandicraftsman;solongthehabitofinterpretingphenomenaintermsofpersonalmotiveandpropensitysuffersnosuchconsiderableandconsistentderangementthroughfactsastoleadtoitselimination。Butunderthelaterdevelopedindustrialprocesses,whentheprimemoversandthecontrivancesthroughwhichtheyworkareofanimpersonal,non-individualcharacter,thegroundsofgeneralizationhabituallypresentintheworkman’smindandthepointofviewfromwhichhehabituallyapprehendsphenomenaisanenforcedcognizanceofmatter-of-factsequence。Theresult,sofarasconcertstheworkman’slifeoffaith,isaproclivitytoundevoutscepticism。 Itappears,then,thatthedevouthabitofmindattainsitsbestdevelopmentunderarelativelyarchaicculture;theterm“devout“beingofcoursehereusedinitsanthropologicalsensesimply,andnotasimplyinganythingwithrespecttothespiritualattitudesocharacterized,beyondthefactofapronenesstodevoutobservances。Itappearsalsothatthisdevoutattitudemarksatypeofhumannaturewhichismoreinconsonancewiththepredatorymodeoflifethanwiththelater-developed,moreconsistentlyandorganicallyindustriallifeprocessofthecommunity。Itisinlargemeasureanexpressionofthearchaichabitualsenseofpersonalstatus——therelationofmasteryandsubservience——anditthereforefitsintotheindustrialschemeofthepredatoryandthequasi-peaceableculture,butdoesnotfitintotheindustrialschemeofthepresent。Italsoappearsthatthishabitpersistswithgreatesttenacityamongthoseclassesinthemoderncommunitieswhoseeverydaylifeismostremotefromthemechanicalprocessesofindustryandwhicharethemostconservativealsoinotherrespects;whileforthoseclassesthatarehabituallyinimmediatecontactwithmodernindustrialprocesses,andwhosehabitsofthoughtarethereforeexposedtotheconstrainingforceoftechnologicalnecessities,thatanimisticinterpretationofphenomenaandthatrespectofpersonsonwhichdevoutobservanceproceedsareinprocessofobsolescence。Andalso——asbearingespeciallyonthepresentdiscussion——itappearsthatthedevouthabittosomeextentprogressivelygainsinscopeandelaborationamongthoseclassesinthemoderncommunitiestowhomwealthandleisureaccrueinthemostpronounceddegree。Inthisasinotherrelations,theinstitutionofaleisureclassactstoconserve,andeventorehabilitate,thatarchaictypeofhumannatureandthoseelementsofthearchaicculturewhichtheindustrialevolutionofsocietyinitslaterstagesactstoeliminate。 ChapterThirteenSurvivalsoftheNon-InvidiousInterestsInanincreasingproportionastimegoeson,theanthropomorphiccult,withitscodeofdevoutobservations,suffersaprogressivedisintegrationthroughthestressofeconomicexigenciesandthedecayofthesystemofstatus。Asthisdisintegrationproceeds,therecometobeassociatedandblendedwiththedevoutattitudecertainothermotivesandimpulsesthatarenotalwaysofananthropomorphicorigin,nortraceabletothehabitofpersonalsubservience。Notallofthesesubsidiaryimpulsesthatblendwiththehabitofdevoutnessinthelaterdevotionallifearealtogethercongruouswiththedevoutattitudeorwiththeanthropomorphicapprehensionofthesequenceofphenomena。Theoriginbeingnotthesame,theiractionupontheschemeofdevoutlifeisalsonotinthesamedirection。Inmanywaystheytraversetheunderlyingnormofsubservienceorvicariouslifetowhichthecodeofdevoutobservationsandtheecclesiasticalandsacerdotalinstitutionsaretobetracedastheirsubstantialbasis。Throughthepresenceofthesealienmotivesthesocialandindustrialregimeofstatusgraduallydisintegrates,andthecanonofpersonalsubserviencelosesthesupportderivedfromanunbrokentradition。Extraneoushabitsandproclivitiesencroachuponthefieldofactionoccupiedbythiscanon,anditpresentlycomesaboutthattheecclesiasticalandsacerdotalstructuresarepartiallyconvertedtootheruses,insomemeasurealientothepurposesoftheschemeofdevoutlifeasitstoodinthedaysofthemostvigorousandcharacteristicdevelopmentofthepriesthood。