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Thorstein Veblen Quotes

Economist

Thorstein Veblen was an American economist known for his sociological perspective on economics and his critical analysis of economic theories. His work, 'The Theory of the Leisure Class,' had a profound impact on later economics and sociology.

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All Leisure Conspicuous Consumption Class Mean Aesthetic Goods Habit Waste Wealth Beautiful Business Community Consumption Effort Eye Individual Self Standards Use Apprehension

Famous Thorstein Veblen Quotes

“In order to stand well in the eyes of the community, it is necessary to come up to a certain, somewhat indefinite, conventional standard of wealth.”

Life Wells Eye Success Certain Order Community Wealth Class Standards Come Up Conventional Conspicuous Consumption

Book:The Theory of the Leisure Class

Source: The Theory of the Leisure Class

“It is always sound business to take any obtainable net gain, at any cost, and at any risk to the rest of the community.”

Sound Community Business Risk Cost Gains Conspicuous Consumption

Book:Absentee Ownership: Business Enterprise in Recent Times : the Case of America

Source: Absentee Ownership: Business Enterprise in Recent Times : the Case of America

“The basis on which good repute in any highly organized industrial community ultimately rests is pecuniary strength; and the means of showing pecuniary strength, and so of gaining or retaining a good name, are leisure and a conspicuous consumption of goods.”

Mean Names Community Bases Organized Goods Leisure Consumption Retaining Conspicuous Consumption

Book:THE THEORY OF THE LEISURE CLASS: An Economic Study of American Institutions and a Social Critique of Conspicuous Consumption: Development of Institutions That Shape Society and Influence the Livelihood of Citizens: Based on Sociological & Economical Theories of Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Adam Smith and Herbert Spencer

Source: THE THEORY OF THE LEISURE CLASS: An Economic Study of American Institutions and a Social Critique of Conspicuous Consumption: Development of Institutions That Shape Society and Influence the Livelihood of Citizens: Based on Sociological & Economical Theories of Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Adam Smith and Herbert Spencer

“With the exception of the instinct of self-preservation, the propensity for emulation is probably the strongest and most alert and persistent of the economic motives proper. In an industrial community this propensity for emulation expresses itself in pecuniary emulation; and this, so far as regards the Western civilized communities of the present, is virtually equivalent to saying that it expresses itself in some form of conspicuous waste.”

Self Form Community Economic Waste Regard Instinct Western Motive Exception Civilized Strongest Preservation Persistent Self Preservation Propensity Emulation

Author:Thorstein Veblen