onally large share of the primitive traits, the sheltered
position of the class favors its members directly by withdrawing them
from the pecuniary struggle; but indirectly, through the leisure-class
canons of conspicuous waste of goods and effort, the institution of a
leisure class lessens the chance of survival of such individuals in the
entire body of the population. The decent requirements of waste absorb
the surplus energy of the population in an invidious struggle and leave
no margin for the non-invidious expression of life. The remoter, less
tangible, spiritual effects of the discipline of decency go in the same
direction and work perhaps more effectually to the same end. The
canons of decent life are an elaboration of the principle of invidious
comparison, and they accordingly act consistently to inhibit all
non-invidious effort and to inculcate the self-regarding attitude.

Chapter Fourteen ~~ The Higher Learning as an Expression of the
Pecuniary Culture

To the end that suitable habits of thought on certain heads may be
conserved in the incoming generation, a scholastic discipline is
sanctioned by the common sense of the community and incorporated into
the accredited scheme of life. The habits of thought which are so
formed under the guidance of teachers and scholastic traditions have
an economic value--a value as affecting the serviceability of the
individual--no less real than the similar economic value of the habits
of thought formed without such guidance under the discipline of everyday
life. Whatever characteristics of the accredited scholastic scheme and
discipline are traceable to the predilections of the leisure class or to
the guidance of the canons of pecuniary merit are to be set down to the
account of that institution, and whatever economic value these features
of the educational scheme possess are the expression in detail of the
value of that institution. It will be in place, therefore, to point out
any peculiar features of the educational system which are traceable to
the leisure-class scheme of life, whether as regards the aim and method
of the discipline, or as regards the compass and character of the body
of knowledge inculcated. It is in learning proper, and more particularly
in the higher learning, that the influence of leisure-class ideals is
most patent; and since the purpose here is not to make an exhaustive
collation of data showing the effect of the pecuniary culture upon
educatio