Decadence and Decay

Decadence has been viewed as a precursor to the collapse of societies. It suggests moral and cultural decay. Furthermore it implies societal norms whose exaggeration leads to the decline of cultures and civilisations. Indulgence in pleasure or luxury, decadence is at the nexus between public and private, work and leisure, tradition and progress. The concept has also been seen as one of the pillars on which modernism was built, but what is its place, in a post-modern world? In this book, a diverse group of experts examine the concepts of decadence and decay across a wide spectrum, from ancient Rome to the present.