Name: The Theory of the Leisure Class
Author: Thorstein Veblen
ISBN: 9780191517587

The Theory of the Leisure Class

Thorstein Veblen

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Author Description

'conspicuous Consumption Of Valuable Goods Is A Means Of Reputability To The Gentleman Of Leisure.' In The Theory Of The Leisure Class Thorstein Veblen Sets Out 'to Discuss The Place And Value Of The Leisure Class As An Economic Factor In Modern Life'. In So Doing He Produced A Landmark Study Of Affluent American Society That Exposes, With Brilliant Ruthlessness, The Habits Of Production And Waste That Link Invidious Business Tactics And Barbaric Social Behaviour. Veblen's Analysis Of The Evolutionary Process Sees Greed As The Overriding Motive In The Modern Economy; With An Impartial Gaze He Examines The Human Cost Paid When Social Institutions Exploit The Consumption Of Unessential Goods For The Sake Of Personal Profit. Fashion, Beauty, Animals, Sports, The Home, The Clergy, Scholars - All Are Assessed For Their True Usefulness And Found Wanting. The Targets Of Veblen's Coruscating Satire Are As Evident Today As They Were A Century Ago, And His Book Still Has The Power To Shock And Enlighten. Veblen's Uncompromising Arguments And The Influential Literary Force Of His Writing Are Assessed In Martha Banta's Introduction. About The Series: For Over 100 Years Oxford World's Classics Has Made Available The Widest Range Of Literature From Around The Globe. Each Affordable Volume Reflects Oxford's Commitment To Scholarship, Providing The Most Accurate Text Plus A Wealth Of Other Valuable Features, Including Expert Introductions By Leading Authorities, Helpful Notes To Clarify The Text, Up-to-date Bibliographies For Further Study, And Much More.

Menrva's Summary

THE THESIS

What is the economic and social function of the leisure class within modern industrial society? Thorstein Veblen, an economist and sociologist, utilizes an evolutionary framework to analyze how social status is maintained through the display of wealth. He argues that the leisure class engages in conspicuous consumption and conspicuous leisure to signal social superiority, effectively turning waste into a mechanism for reputability.

THE SCOPE MAP

What You Will Find

Analysis of conspicuous consumption and pecuniary emulation
Examination of social institutions including fashion, religion, and education
Evolutionary perspective on human economic behavior

Scope Limits

Does not provide contemporary empirical data beyond the late 19th-century context
Focuses primarily on Western industrial society rather than global economic systems

THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE

Scholars recognize this work as a foundational text in institutional economics and sociology. Readers frequently note the dense, academic prose style that requires careful attention to grasp Veblen's specific terminology.

Page Count:
304

Publication Date:
2007-01-01

Publisher:
Oup Oxford

ISBN-10:
0191517585

ISBN-13:
9780191517587

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