Chapter La polemica sul lusso nel Settecento

Abstract

Unlike in the past, the phenomenon of luxury in the modern era marks a paradigm shift that has an immediate impact on the development of work in the capitalist sense. The wealth produced by the arts, commerce and work raises questions, even disturbing ones, in relation to customs, morality, justice, and the stability of the state. Among the detractors and apologists of luxury, a median position is taken by economists. While recognizing the ambivalence of luxury, the latter support the possibility of regulating it, if not morally, at least economically, for the benefit of work and civil well-being.