Thorstein Veblen and the American Way of Life

Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929) was an unrelenting critic of the American way of life. In his first and best-known work, The Theory of the Leisure Class, Verblen defined the social attitudes and values that condoned the misuse of wealth and the variety of way in which the resources of modern society were wasted. Though most famous for the term conspicuous consumption , he also attacked other American institutions and traditions, but his ideas on society were often dismissed because of his reputation as an eccentric. Veblen remains an intriguing figure in American intellectual history, and this important work, undertaken by Patsouras, attempts both to unravel the riddles that surround his reputation and to assess his varied and important contributions to modern social theory. By setting Veblen’s work in its sociological and intellectual context, and by considering Veblen not just as an economist or sociologist - as has been the case up to now - Patsouras also examines Veblen’s politics, in particular the early manifestations of American socialism and anarchism, as well as his support for labour unions.