V&R Chapter 1 discusses Hume’s theory of business. Boiling things down: it is not money that makes the world go around but beauty. The economy’s dynamism is a function of fantasies about luxury. Luxuries are refinements of the arts and sciences and those who want to afford them must themselves become combinations of the arts and sciences.
Objects and persons refine apace. This video about the crafting of a Beretta shotgun is a perfect example of Hume’s thesis. There is also, interestingly, a significant nod to Max Scheler (V&R Chapter 5).
