Decadence

In Decadence, David Weir traces the evolution of decadent culture from ancient Rome through 19th-century Paris and beyond, highlighting how attitudes towards modernity and decline shaped artistic and social expression. The book examines the tension between aesthetic decadence—an emphasis on artifice and style—and social decadence, which encompasses various forms of excess and perversity. Weir explores how this conflicted attitude influenced artists and writers, leading some to prioritize taste and artifice over morality in a provocative reflection on cultural decline.