Survivals of the Non-Invidious Interest Summary and Analysis

The anthropomorphic cult and the divinity disintegrate as time goes on. "Among these alien motives which affect the devout scheme in its later growth, may be mentioned the motives of charity and of social good-fellowship, or conviviality; or, in more general terms, the various expressions of the sense of human solidarity and sympathy" (Chap. 13, p. 333).

There are certain aptitudes and habits of life which appear to be antithetical to the leisure class. The leisure class is characterized by waste and abstention from the industrial employments. Their class tends to propagate the traits of earlier cultures, and these traits tend to survive because of the sheltering of the leisure class through the mechanism of reputable life. Change comes about when there are changes in economic development. This happens when there are fewer wars, less...