17世纪末至18世纪中叶英国消费社会的出现

The Emergence of Consumer Society in England from the late 17th Century to the Mid-18th Century

最近几十年,西方学界掀起了一股研究消费的热潮,至今方兴未艾。在探究消费社会、消费革命或者消费主义的起源时,越来越多的学者聚焦于18世纪的英国,甚至追溯到斯图亚特王朝复辟时期。本文从英国人实际消费能力的提高,在衣食住行等方面的炫耀性消费行为,花样繁多的诱导消费的销售手段,咖啡馆、剧院等各式消费场所和商业化休闲产业的激增等几个方面进行实证研究,试图论证在17世纪末至18世纪中叶英国已初步形成了一个消费社会,并分析消费社会出现的原因。

In recent decades, the consumption study has become an upsurge in the Western academical circles. More and more scholars focus on 18th century England, even back to the Stuart Restoration when they explore the origins of consumer society, consumption revolution and consumerism. This article is an empirical research on the British real increase of consumption capacity, the conspicuous consumption in daily life, the great variety of sale means of inducing consumers, the surge of coffee-houses, theaters and other kinds of consumer place and commercial establishments.It demonstrates that a consumer society emerged in England from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century. Finally, the author tries to analyze the reasons of this phenomenon.