抄録
The Luxury controversy caused by the defense of luxury in Mandeville's The Fable of the Bees exerted a great influence on 18th Century France through Melon and Voltaire. This controversy highlighted the coming of “the era of economy, ” and was closely related to the shaping of economics. This paper focuses on a phase of the luxury controversy primarily by examining Forbonnais's theory of luxury and consumption.
Forbonnais defines luxury as the desire for a higher level of consumption. Luxurious wants/consumption serve a double economic function; both creating labor incentives and regulating levels of production by stimulating consumption demand. According to Forbonnais, civilized societies are able to progress due to the ubiquitious presence of luxurious wants/consumption. Contrary to this view, Hume, Turgot, and Smith stress saving rather than luxurious wants as the driving force of economic growth.
