一般學者認為，明代自嘉靖、隆慶以來，社會風氣逐漸侈靡。本文嘗試在一般有關風氣變遷之外在性考察的基礎上，進一步思考其內在意涵，討論「商品化」機制如何與人的欲望相呼應，以致推動社會生活層面的具體變化。本文議論重點不在社會經濟史意義的分析，而著重在社會生活意涵的論述。 本文考察發現，明清城市社會中發達的商業機能已經具有相當強的「商品化」的能力，在商業利益的追求下，此種商業機能不斷探測社會成員的感官喜好，而後因應其所需進行各種商品的開發。在市場的作用下，個人感官欲望可能擴散及於整體社會，而市場也可能對一般社會成員的感官欲望進行塑造。如此，商業機能將個人的感官欲望具體化為市場中的商品，市場中的商品又與社會成員的個人生活領域相交接，由此促動個人生活表現與市場商品樣式的相互決定。也因此，明中期以後，江南城市在商業力量的帶動下，個人感官欲望的追求，成了個人生活面貌不斷變化，與社會文化不斷創造的動力。

In general, scholars believe that Chinese society became increasingly extravagant during the Jiaqing and Longqing reigns. This article attempts to go beyond the usual study of extrinsic transitions of the general practices of the time and instead focuses on the intrinsic meanings of this transition; it attempts to discuss how the mechanisms of “commercialization” worked in concert with people’s desires, and how this enacted specific changes in different aspects of life and society. The emphasis of this article is not to provide a historical analysis of the economy, but rather to discuss life in society at that time. This study indicates that the advanced mechanisms of commerce in Ming and Qing urban society showed a relatively strong degree of “commercialization.” The pursuit of commercial profit revealed changing sensory preferences, which in turn led to the development of different merchandise. The effect of commercialization likely influenced individual consumers and the spread of their sensory desires throughout society; at the same time, the market also shaped the sensory desires of individual consumer, thus establishing interactions between individual preferences and market trends.