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The influential economist and philosopher Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929) was one of the most original and penetrating critics of American culture and institutions, and his work attracted and still attracts the attention of scholars from a wide range of political viewpoints and scholarly disciplines. Focusing on the doctrinal and theoretical facets of Veblen's political economy, this book offers a study not only of his ideas but also of the way his critics have responded to them. Rick Tilman assesses the weight of the critics' reactions, both positive and negative, as well as exposing their sometimes mistaken interpretations of Veblen's work. As he scrutinizes the ideologies of the conservatives, liberals, and radicals who commented on Veblen, he portrays the diversity of social theory in the first half of the twentieth century. Beginning with the first criticism of Veblen's work during the presidency of Benjamin Harrison and concluding with Daniel Bell's attack on him during the Kennedy administration, the book emphasizes those critics who systematically confronted the doctrinal structure of Veblen's thought and believed that they perceived in it fundamental weaknesses. But even the most negatively inclined--such as Paul Baran, Irving Fisher, and Talcott Parsons--admitted some of Veblen's strengths. Ironically, his supporters at times stripped his work of much of its potential for political and moral enlightenment without intending to do so.
Originally published in 1992.
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List of contents
Foreword Ch. 2Conservative Critics: The Early Period Ch. 3Conservative Critics: The Chicagoites Ch. 4Conservative Critics: The Religious Assault Ch. 5Liberal Critics: The Progressives Ch. 6Liberal Critics: The Institutionalists Ch. 7Liberal Critics: The Neoinstitutionalists Ch. 8Liberal Critics: Harvard and Columbia Style Ch. 9Radical Critics: The Frankfurt School Ch. 10Radical Critics: The Monthly Review Ch. 11Radical Critics: Marxism, Trotskyism, and Social Democracy Ch. 12The Ideological Use and Abuse of Thorstein Veblen Notes Archives Consulted Index
About the author
Rick Tilman
Summary
The influential economist and philosopher Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929) was one of the most original and penetrating critics of American culture and institutions, and his work attracted and still attracts the attention of scholars from a wide range of political viewpoints and scholarly disciplines. Focusing on the doctrinal and theoretical facets of
Additional text
"[Tilman] asserts that Veblen stands in the front rank of modern Western social theorists.... Tilman writes with clarity and intelligence. He understands the cultural determinants of human behavior, including the market economy."
