The Theory of the Leisure Class (Paperback)

Paperback. The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899) by Thorstein Veblen is a critical analysis of modern consumer society. Veblen argues that in capitalist economies, social status is displayed through conspicuous consumption and conspicuous leisure-the public display of wealth and unproductive activities to signal prestige rather than utility. He traces these behaviors to earlier societies where a leisure class emerged, exempt from manual labor, and shows how their values come to dominate cultural standards of success. The book critiques how these status-driven habits encourage waste, reinforce inequality, and shape tastes, institutions, and economic behavior in ways that are often irrational and socially harmful. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.