This eBook edition of "THE VESTED INTERESTS & THE NATURE OF PEACE" has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. The Vested Interests and The Nature of Peace are two books by Thorstein Veblen that go hand in hand. Veblen's main critique in The Vested Interests and the Common Man that business prospers by limiting supply in order to allow capitalists to dictate the highest possible prices, making theirs and interests of the government clearly in the opposition to the interests of the common man. Veblen goes further stating that not only that common man doesn't profit, but he is also damaged in this relationship considering social repercussions of capitalistic industry. An Inquiry into the Nature of Peace and the Terms of Its Perpetuation is a Veblen's book that came as a product of his work with a group that had been commissioned by President Woodrow Wilson to analyze possible peace settlements for World War I. Veblen here claims that patriotism is based on the idea of superiority of one nation over others and is often abused by governments especially in imperial monarchies. He explicitly says that the peace between democratic states and imperial monarchies can't be kept without disbanding one form of government and these claims were later confirmed. Working on this book marked a series of distinct changes in Veblen's later career path. Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929) was an American economist and sociologist. He is well known as a witty critic of capitalism. Veblen is famous for the idea of "conspicuous consumption." Conspicuous consumption, along with "conspicuous leisure," is performed to demonstrate wealth or mark social status. Veblen explains the concept in his best-known book, The Theory of the Leisure Class. Within the history of economic thought, Veblen is considered the leader of the institutional economics movement.

"An Inquiry into the Nature of Peace and The Terms of Its Perpetuation" by Thorstein Veblen is a seminal work that delves into the socio-economic dynamics underlying peace and its sustenance. Veblen, a renowned American economist and sociologist, published this book in 1917 during the tumultuous period of World War I. In this book, Veblen offers a critical analysis of the prevailing attitudes towards peace and war, examining the interplay between economic interests, political structures, and cultural values. He argues that conventional approaches to achieving and maintaining peace often fail to address the root causes of conflict, which are deeply rooted in socio-economic inequalities and power dynamics. Veblen explores how the profit motive, militarism, and vested interests perpetuate cycles of war and conflict, highlighting the role of industrial capitalism and the military-industrial complex in shaping international relations. He critiques the notion of "war as a natural state" and challenges the prevailing ideology of nationalism and imperialism, advocating for a more rational and equitable approach to global governance. Central to Veblen's argument is the idea that true peace can only be achieved through structural reforms that address the underlying economic and social injustices inherent in modern societies. He proposes various measures to promote peace, including the democratization of economic resources, the reduction of militarism, and the cultivation of international cooperation based on mutual respect and understanding. Overall, "An Inquiry into the Nature of Peace and The Terms of Its Perpetuation" offers a provocative and insightful analysis of the complex relationship between economics, politics, and peace, making it a timeless classic in the field of peace studies and international relations.

One of the great thinkers of the early 20th century, American economist and sociologist THORSTEIN BUNDE VEBLEN (1857-1929) is best remembered for coining the phrase "conspicuous consumption." In the waning days of World War I, he turned his expertise on a pressing issue of the day: how to create a lasting, healthy peace, and how industry might contribute to it. In this 1917 book, Veblen explores... . how the concept of patriotism can undermine efforts toward peace . how modern commerce can unify nations . why honor must be sustained by surrendering nations . how war in the 20th century is a battle between modes of government and national character . and more. ALSO FROM COSIMO: Veblen's The Vested Interests and the Common Man, The Theory of Business Enterprise, and Imperial Germany and the Industrial Revolution

Veblen's classic position on social status is intertwined with his interest in economic class and the political prospects of that class. The Vested Interests is squarely in that tradition. It aims to show how and why a discrepancy has arisen between the accepted principles of law and custom that underlie the business enterprise and the efficient management of industry. He also speculates on the civil and political difficulties inspired by this discrepancy between business civilization, and the social order. Many of the essays in this collection originally appeared in Dial from October 1918 to January 1919. The Vested Interests includes: "The Instability of Knowledge and Belief," "The Stability of Law and Custom," "The State of the Industrial Arts," "Free Income," "The Vested Interests," "The Divine Rights of Nations," "Live and Let Live," and "The Vested Interests and the Common Man." In his new introduction, Irving Louis Horowitz discusses Veblen as an economist turned sociologist. He explores the dichotomies in Veblen's approach, describing it as radical in input and conservative in outcome. Veblen was analytical in design, but ideological in rhetoric. He was materialist in his economic analysis, but idealistic in his emphasis on law and custom as regulatory mechanisms of the management of society. Horowitz also describes the difficulties Veblen experienced in placing his steadfastly nineteenth century ideals in the context of 1920s America. This is the final volume in Transaction's series of the essential works of Thorstein Veblen. It will be of central interest to sociologists as well as economists, particularly those interested in the history of ideas. Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929) was perhaps the most famous American economist and social critic of his time. He taught at the Universities of Chicago and Missouri, Stanford University, and the New School for Social Research. His many books include The Theory of Business Enterprise, The Higher Learning in America, Absentee Ownership, and The Theory of the Leisure Class, all available from Transaction. Irving Louis Horowitz is university professor and Hannah Arendt Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey where he taught for thirty years. He also serves as editorial director and chairman of the board of Transaction Publishers. Among his writings is Behemoth: Main Currents in the History and Theory of Political Sociology.

The Nature of Peace contains both a theory of politics and a theory of economics in regard to war. Thorstein Veblen's approach to this topic is at once empirical, instrumental, and matter-of-fact. He poses the question, "What are the terms on which peace at large may hopefully be installed and maintained?" Veblen's quest for peace does not rely on grand forces but rather on various conditions, some propitious and some prohibitive. The regime of peace, according to Veblen, is a function of the pacification of both the dynastic state and the modern state, the class struggle, the control of government by privileged business and other propertied interests, and the workings of the market. War and warlike behavior are matters not only of psychology but of both politics and economics, that is to say, matters of the social system as a whole.

138 articles are arranged thematically to give easy access to the intellectual processes of this influencial economist. Volume 1 deals with his life and perspectives, volume 2 with "political economy" and volume 3 on "Specialized topics