Bøger af Thorstein Veblen

The Theory of the Leisure Class: An Economic Study of Institutions (1899) presents the evolutionary development of human institutions (social and economic) that shape society, arguing that technology and the industrial arts are the creative forces of economic production but that these forces are often purposefully wasted. The industrial production system requires the workers (men and women) to be diligent, efficient, and co-operative, whilst the owners (businessmen and businesswomen) concern themselves with making money and with the public display of their accumulated wealth. These displays, including conspicuous consumption and conspicuous leisure, serve to glorify exploit over industry. The glorification of exploit results in status gains for the exploitative leisure class, widespread admiration for behaviors which are fundamentally wasteful, and increased general reverence for members of the wasteful leisure class (rather than anger toward the leisure class). Veblen argues that the conspicuous leisure and conspicuous consumption of the leisure class are emulated by everyone-to the extent that their resources allow-as individuals attempt to attain increased status, often even at the expense of their own material needs and comfort.The sociology and economics of Veblen show the intellectual influences of Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, and Herbert Spencer; thus, his theories of socio-economics emphasize evolution and development as characteristics of human institutions. Like Marx, Veblen criticized the dominant (19th-century) economic theories of his day as static and hedonistic. Veblen argued that economists should take account of how people behave both consistently and dynamically through history, rather than rely solely upon static abstractions of non-historical theoretic deduction to explain the economic behaviours of society. Whereas classical economists measured utility in static terms of maximum material gain, Veblen perceived people as seeking status in addition to, or even above, material gain. For Veblen, the key point is that status has a utility of its own, even in addition to the material gain it sometimes facilitates. Through time, Veblen argues that technological development compels adaptations in the pursuit of status as well as material gain.

Thorstein Bunde Veblen, born Torsten Bunde Veblen (July 30, 1857 - August 3, 1929) was an American economist and sociologist, and he became a leader of the so-called institutional economics movement. Besides his technical work he was a popular and witty critic of capitalism, as shown by his best known book The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899). Veblen is famous in the history of economic thought for combining a Darwinian evolutionary perspective with his new institutionalist approach to economic analysis. He combined sociology with economics in his masterpiece, The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899), arguing there was a basic distinction between the productiveness of "industry," run by engineers, which manufactures goods, and the parasitism of "business," which exists only to make profits for a leisure class. The chief activity of the leisure class was "conspicuous consumption", and their economic contribution is "waste," activity that contributes nothing to productivity. The American economy was therefore made inefficient and corrupt by the businessmen, though he never made that claim explicit. Veblen believed that technological advances were the driving force behind cultural change, but, unlike many contemporaries, he refused to connect change with progress. Veblen also wrote about Marxism, though he was not technically a Marxist. While Marx regarded socialism as the ultimate goal for civilization, Veblen saw socialism as but one stage in the economic evolution of society.

However, these and other like filial expressions of a devout optimism need, perhaps, not be taken as integral features of Adam Smith's economic theory, or as seriously affecting the character of his work as an economist. They are the expression of his general philosophical and theological views, and are significant for the present purpose chiefly as evidences of an animistic and optimistic bent.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

We rely on your support to help us keep producing beautiful, free, and unrestricted editions of literature for the digital age.Will you support our efforts with a donation?1899 was the tail end of the Gilded Age, a time in America of rapid economic expansion that caused a select few to become ultra-wealthy, while millions of commoners struggled in abject poverty. It was against this backdrop that Veblen, an economist and sociologist at the University of Chicago, wrote The Theory of the Leisure Class, a book that brought the phrase ¿conspicuous consumption¿ into the modern vocabulary.Veblen¿s thesis centers on the definition of what he calls the ¿leisure class,¿ the upper social class consisting of wealthy individuals who are socially exempt from productive work. Their work instead becomes what he calls ¿conspicuous consumption¿: spending their wealth in increasingly ostentatious ways in order to preserve their class status. Meanwhile, the lower and middle classes are the ones actually engaged in work that is productive to society¿manufacturing and industry¿with the goal of eventually being able to emulate the social status afforded by the conspicuous consumption of their leisure class masters.Along the way, Veblen links these behaviors with social strictures left over from feudal society, arguing that contemporary human society has not evolved far beyond our medieval peasant-and-lord forefathers. In those ancient societies, productive labor came to be viewed as disreputable and dirty; thus, status is won not by accumulating wealth, but by displaying the evidence of wealth. He argues that many of what some would consider society¿s ills are linked to this fundamental concept: for example, the mistreatment of women¿forcing them into constricting clothing, preventing them from participating in independent economic life¿is a way for their husbands to show off their unemployed status as a kind of conspicuous leisure; or society¿s obsession with sports, celebrity, and organized religion, all forms of conspicuous leisure that bring no productive benefit to society, and on the contrary waste time and resources, but whose practitioners¿superstars and clergy¿maintain a high social status.Though it was written over a hundred years ago when industrial society was just getting its footing, Veblen¿s thesis predicts much of the social stratification we recognize today. Practical labor continues to be viewed as basically demeaning, while people struggle in vain to chase a glimmer of the vast wealth that celebrities, investors, bankers, hedge fund managers, and C-suite dwellers¿the conspicuously-consuming leisure class of today¿openly flaunt. As such, The Theory of the Leisure Class might be one of the most prescient and influential books of economic and social science of the 20th century.

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There is no system of economic theory more logical than that of Marx."The Socialist Economics of Karl Marx and His Followers" is a two parts essay giving a historical overview on Karl Marx's theories on socialism and the Marxism later developed by his followers. Also included in this volume is "Some Neglected Points in the Theory of Socialism", a bold essay linking the popularity of socialism with the decrease in relative wealth, and selected book reviews by Veblen.Thorstein Veblen was an American economist and social scientist who made important contributions to the study of economic institutions and the study of social class. He is best known for his book The Theory of the Leisure Class which introduced the term "conspicuous consumption".

Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929) was an American economist and sociologist. He is well known as a witty critic of capitalism. Veblen is famous for the idea of "conspicuous consumption." Conspicuous consumption, along with "conspicuous leisure," is performed to demonstrate wealth or mark social status. Veblen explains the concept in his best-known book, The Theory of the Leisure Class. Within the history of economic thought, Veblen is considered the leader of the institutional economics movement. Veblen's distinction between "institutions" and "technology" is still called the Veblenian dichotomy by contemporary economists. In the beginning of his academic career Veblen had difficulties obtaining a university position, whether because he was discriminated for being Norwegian, or openly identified as an agnostic. These difficulties later inspired him to write The Higher Learning in America. In this book he claimed that true academic values were sacrificed by universities in favor of their own self-interest and profitability.

Originally published in 1899, this is a work by Thorstein Veblen, an American economist and sociologist. It is an article written for the American Journal of Sociology publication outlining some of his theories on work. We are republishing this work with a brand new introductory biography of the author with the aim of placing it in the context of his other writings and achievements. The following passage is an extract from the article:'It is one of the commonplaces of the received economic theory that work is irksome. Many a discussion proceeds on this axiom that, so far as regards economic matters, men desire above all things to get the goods produced by labor and to avoid the labor by which the goods are produced. In a general way the common-sense opinion is well in accord with current theory on this head. According to the common-sense-ideal, the economic beatitude lies in an unrestrained consumption of goods, without work; whereas the perfect economic affliction is unremunerated labor. Man instinctively revolts at effort that goes to supply the means of life'