The Theory Of The Leisure Class

The Theory of the Leisure Class is a book written by Thorstein Veblen, an American economist and sociologist, first published in 1899. The book is a critique of the American society of the time, which Veblen saw as being based on conspicuous consumption and wastefulness, rather than practicality and efficiency.Veblen argued that the upper classes of society, the leisure class, were engaged in a constant struggle for status and prestige, which they achieved through the display of wealth and conspicuous consumption. This, in turn, led to the creation of a culture of waste, where resources were squandered in order to demonstrate one's wealth and social status.Veblen also explored the idea of ""pecuniary emulation"", where individuals sought to emulate the spending habits of those higher up the social ladder, regardless of whether or not those habits were actually useful or productive.The book is considered a classic of economic and sociological literature, and its insights into the nature of consumerism and the role of the leisure class in society continue to be influential to this day.Conspicuous consumption of valuable goods is a means of reputability to the gentleman of leisure. As wealth accumulates on his hands, his own unaided effort will not avail to sufficiently put his opulence in evidence by this method. The aid of friends and competitors is therefore brought in by resorting to the giving of valuable presents and expensive feasts and entertainments.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. 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 their original work.