In the past, permanence was the ideal. Whether engaged in handcrafting a pair of boots or in constructing a cathedral, all man’s creative and productive energies went toward maximizing the durability of the product. Man built to last He had to. As long as the society around him was relatively unchanging each object had clearly defined functions, and economic logic dictated the policy of permanence. Even if they had to be repaired now and then, the boots that cost fifty dollars and lasted ten years were less expensive than those that cost ten dollars and lasted only a year.
