At some points the discussion proceeds on grounds of economic theory or ethnological generalisation that may be in some degree unfamiliar.The introductory chapter indicates the nature of these theoretical premises sufficiently, it is hoped, to avoid obscurity. A more explicit statement of the theoretical position involved is made in a series of papers published in Volume IV of the American Journal of Sociology, on "The Instinct of Workmanship and the Irksomeness of Labour," "The Beginnings of Ownership," and "The Barbarian Status of Women." But the argument does not rest on these - in part novel - generalisations in such a way that it would altogether lose its possible value as a detail of economic theory in case these novel generalisations should, in the reader's apprehension, fall away through being insufficiently backed by authority or data.

With devastating satiric wit, this book examines the hollowness and falsity suggested by the term "conspicuous consumption"(coined by Veblen) and exposes the emptiness of many cherished standards of taste, education, dress and culture. Since its original publication in 1899, the work has become a classic of social and economic theory that contributed strongly to the modernization of economic thought and policy and exerted an influence widely felt beyond the sphere of economics.For Veblen, the shallowness and superficiality of society resulted from the tendency to believe that true accomplishment lay in arriving at a condition of ostentatious wealth and status. In developing this thesis, he traces the origins and development of ownership and property, offering extraordinary insights into the phenomenon of consumerism, the evolution of class structure,the rise of leisure time and how modern societal goals are grounded in pecuniary aspirations and achievements.Students, sociologists, historians, economists--anyone interested in the motives and behavior of human beings within a large-scale social context--will find this time-honored investigation still relevant and readable nearly a century after its first appearance.It belongs in the library of every thinking person.

Introductory

Pecuniary Emulation

Conspicuous Leisure

Conspicuous Consumption

The Pecuniary Standard of Living

Pecuniary Canons of Taste

Dress as an Expression of the Pecuniary Culture

Industrial Exemption and Conservatism

The Conservation of Archaic Traits

Modem Survivals of Prowess

The Belief in Luck

Devout Observances

Survivals of the Non-Invidious Interest

The Higher Learning as an Expression of the Pecuniary Culture