Some Neglected Aspects of Veblen's Social Thought

In: Social science quarterly, Band 60, Heft 3, S. 439-453

Abstract

J. Diggin (The Bard of Savagery: Thorstein Veblen and Modern Social Thought, New York: Seabury Press, 1978) has seen Veblen as one of the three great sociological theorists of industrial capitalism, along with Marx & Weber. Veblen's work appeals to three basic concerns: basic human instincts, theory of history, & investigation of contemporary institutions, especially business. The ideas of Hegel, as conveyed by G. S. Morris, were an important influence on Veblen's outlook, leading him to a four-stage scheme of history: savagery, barbarism, handicrafts, & industrial society. W. H. Stoddard.