Thorstein Veblen's The Theory Of The Leisure Class

In the nineteenth century, many technological advancements created revolutionary industrial progress in America. Massive economic growth allowed capitalism to flourish in full force. United States citizens living in this era needed to adapt, which led to the development of new social structures. The divide between the working poor and the managing rich rapidly increased. New social systems confined Americans into a certain role with few opportunities for mobility. These tremendous nineteenth century changes resulted in writers, philosophers, and men of industry attempting to figure the causes and effects of an unprecedented era. First, Alexi de Tocqueville, a diplomat and political scientist, combined his experiences from France and America

On the other end of economic power, Andrew Carnegie wrote “Wealth” where he suggested that those with immense riches should contribute to the public good in a substantial manner. Finally, Thorstein Veblen’s The Theory of the Leisure Class examined the interactions between status, commodification, and industry that created conspicuous consumption. These nineteenth century texts represented a range of analyses that informed about their own respective situation, and America as a whole. When viewed together, the texts revealed how industrial capitalist development fostered class isolation that divided conceptions of one’s role in society among the different classes.
Tocqueville observed the Industrial Revolution in America and foresaw a changing society where occupation defined the individual. His work in French politics provided the skills needed to comprehensively analyze America’s rapid development. Tocqueville noticed that the prevalence of factory work had a profound effect on the workers. He believed that a worker “every day becomes more adroit and less industrious; so that it may be said of him that in proportion as the workman improves, the man is degraded. What can be expected of a man who has spent twenty years of his

He understood that there existed consequences to his prosperity. With capitalistic competition “employer of thousands is forced into the strictest economies, among which the rates paid to labor figure prominently, and often there is friction between the employer and the employed, between capital and labor, between rich and poor. Human society loses homogeneity” (Carnegie 2). From Carnegie’s perspective, there was little room to increase wages because of the cutthroat competition in the industry. He knew that a separation in society widened with antagonistic feelings between those at the top and bottom. How much money someone made became the greatest identifier in this type of society. This worsening problem pushed Carnegie into action. He declared that the duty of “the man of wealth thus becoming the mere agent and trustee for his poorer brethren, bringing to their service his superior wisdom, experience, and ability to administer, doing for them better than they would or could do for themselves” (Carnegie 7). Given the pitfalls of a capitalistic economy, Carnegie wanted to provide opportunities to those without proper resources. The restrictions that prevented advancement could be removed if those with wealth assisted. In order to set an example, Carnegie donated a vast majority of his life earnings to the public.