Veblen's Instinct of Workmanship pg 36- 46

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 In the last section of the introduction, we see Veblen's ongoing focus on a lag between human endowment of instincts which change slowly if at all and the changes in technology and the material means and ways of life.In particular he focuses on how the human race had to develop a sense of efficiency and workmanship to survive in earlier times and this is now in conflict with how society is organized today.

From there we move into chapter 2, which is entitled “Contamination of Instincts in Primitive Technology”. First, Veblen makes his distinction between tropismatic or automatic behaviors that are not subject to habit and other instincts, such as workmanship that are subject to be attuned by habit of thought. From here, we get to the starting point on contamination.  Veblen states that human knowledge is cumulative and builds on itself through learning and education. He states that there is “matter-of-fact” knowledge and then there is knowledge based on “convention, inference and authentic opinion arrived at on grounds other than workmanlike experience”.  He calls this type of knowledge “alien” or "pseudo".  He finally states that these two types of knowledge get mixed together and we begin to understand the concept of contamination.

On page 41, he talks about how our technology and tools to deal with the ways and means of life can be contaminated by religious or superstitious ceremonies.  Further, he also states that matters of personal respect and awards to someone will influence who is listened to for guidance and information regardless of their actual matter of fact knowledge and information. Ultimately, Veblen believed that a culture dominated by predatory behavior will have its technology and tools dominated for the material ends dedicated to those premises.


Veblen then spends several pages talking about the power of the elderly on the ways and means used in a community or the gerontocracy as he terms it. He talks about deference to precedent and how this holds a community back. He specifically states that, “those who have gone before still binds them, and the life and thought of the community never escape the dead hand of the parent” (Veblen, pg. 46 1914).  


From here, Veblen reintroduces the notion of the instinct of parental bent. “Parental bent is the bias for the highest efficiency and fullest volume of life in the group with a particular  drift to the future”. (Veblen pg 46 1914).  He also states future goods are preferred to current goods or consumption and he notes in a long footnote how this is contrary to the conventional wisdom of economics. We end this part of the book with the idea that instinct of workmanship and instinct of parental bent are very similar and tend to reinforce one another and are therefore hard to tell apart.


The discussion continues next week...


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