The Theory of the Leisure Class

Outline: the part that Rizzo asked us to read in this book mainly explained 3 types values toward labor and employment in a chronological sequence:

i. the emergence of leisure class: as wealth is accumulated, people's desire has transferred from the first desire, which is a desire toward more labor, to the second desire, which is a desire toward leisure, or exception from menial working.

ii. Differentiation of life style : after the desire for the exception from labor is fulfilled, the leisure class tend to purchase or gain luxuries only to show their wealth and advance the living standard. These luxuries are not permitted to be owed by the poor, who' re only permitted and able to consume necessities.

iii. Pecuniary employments: While still keeping the continence toward menial works, people now value those which have to do immediately with ownership on a large scale and those that are immediately subservient to ownership and financing, such as banking and the law.

Economic concept: Division of labor, job is a cost, self-interest.

Three rhetorical questions: 

i. the anther mentioned that people regard some diseased  condition as the pattern of wealth if the to reach these conditions cost a lot of money. Why there's no such things now?

ii.  Is leisure class still existing now?

iii. Does people's inclination toward big ownership represent we've gone so far from self-interest that we're now approaching greed? 

My opinion: since job is a cost, not profit, the emergency of leisure class or second desire is an inevitable path of human beings. People's desire for better living standard and more money is just a part of human nature. Yet we need to realize that when self-interest is being taken to an extreme, it becomes greed; the pattern that I asked in the first rhetorical question shows the greed of the leisure class.