The Nature of Peace - Softcover

Veblen, Thorstein

Softcover

ISBN 10: 156000973X ISBN 13: 9781560009733

Publisher: Routledge, 1997

Synopsis

The Nature of Peace is the penultimate publication of the collected works of Veblen being published by Transaction. This work 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 em-pirical, 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 eco-nomics, that is to say, matters of the social system as a whole.

Warren Samuels writes in his new introduction that eighty years after this book was originally written, we remain uncertain about the prospects of peace. To understand this uncertainty one can begin by reading The Nature of Peace. But, Samuels warns, the reader must be prepared to suspend the rationales and moral indignations promulgated and reinforced by the institutions of social control and communication in his or her na-tion. Thorstein Veblen's brilliant analysis about the pursuit of perpetual peace is neces-sary reading material for sociologists, philosophers, political scientists, economists, military specialists, and government officials.

About this title

About the Author:

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, and The Theory of the Leisure Class, all available from Transaction.

Synopsis:

This collection of the works of Veblen contains both a theory of politics and a theory of economics in regard to war. He poses the question: "What are the terms on which peace at large may hopefully be installed and maintained?"

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 156000973X
• ISBN 13: 9781560009733
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 367