Necessary Luxuries: Books, Literature and the Culture of Consumption in Germany, 1770-1815

A nuanced perspective on luxury reveals that while some commentators viewed consumer goods as harmful to societal order, others recognized their role in advancing civilization when used prudently. This study challenges binary views of luxury, demonstrating that most eighteenth-century debates acknowledged its necessary yet controlled integration into human progress. By focusing on books and literature in classical Weimar, it highlights how even cultural figures like Goethe and Schiller were immersed in consumer culture despite opposing low taste. The research employs a detailed survey of historical debates, including those by Rousseau and Mandeville, to show that luxury was often seen as an inevitable consequence of societal evolution, beneficial when balanced.

Robertson, R. (2014). Necessary Luxuries: Books, Literature and the Culture of Consumption in Germany, 1770-1815. German History, 33(1), 140–142. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerhis/ghu097