Workmanship

Workmanship, the Key to Improving Quality

The instinct of workmanship, and the state of industrial arts

In "The Instinct of Workmanship and the State of Industrial Arts," Thorstein Veblen explores the intricate relationship between human instinct and industrial productivity, challenging the prevailing economic theories of his time. With a keen analytical lens, Veblen critiques the capitalist framework and its impact on the art of craftsmanship, arguing for the inherent human desire to create and improve. The book employs a rich, analytical style, blending sociology and economics to underscore the significance of workmanship in the industrial age while advocating for a return to a more creative approach to work, rather than viewing it merely as a means of subsistence or profit. Thorstein Veblen, a prominent American economist and social theorist, emerged in a time marked by rapid industrialization and profound social change. His own experiences within the capitalist society and profound interest in social behavior led him to examine how these institutions affected the human capacity for craftsmanship. Veblen's background in both sociology and economics fundamentally shaped his critiques of economic practices, making him a significant figure in the development of institutional economics. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the sociocultural implications of industrial practices today. Veblen's insights resonate with contemporary discussions about the role of creativity and craftsmanship in a technology-driven economy, making this work both timely and relevant.

THE INSTINCT OF WORKMANSHIP & THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRIAL ARTS

This eBook edition of "THE INSTINCT OF WORKMANSHIP & THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRIAL ARTS" has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. "The following work attempts an analysis of such correlation as is visible between industrial use and wont and those other institutional facts that go to make up any given phase of civilisation. It is assumed that in the growth of culture, as in its current maintenance, the facts of technological use and wont are fundamental and definitive, in the sense that they underlie and condition the scope and method of civilization in other than the technological respect, but not in such a sense as to preclude or overlook the degree in which these other conventions of any given civilisation in their turn react on the state of the industrial arts. The analysis proceeds on the materialistic assumptions of modern science, but without prejudice to the underlying question as to the ulterior competency of this materialistic conception considered as a metaphysical tenet. The inquiry simply accepts these mechanistic assumptions of material science for the purpose in hand, since these afford the currently acceptable terms of solution for any scientific problem of the kind in the present state of preconceptions on this head…" (Preface) 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. Veblen's distinction between "institutions" and "technology" is still called the Veblenian dichotomy by contemporary economists.