Veblen Instinct of Workmanship pg. 146-155

By

 Veblen begins the next section by stating three prepositions: 1) it is difficult to say when and how institutions will change in these earlier phases of industrial organization and 2) this early phase of workmanship can be contrasted with a later phase primarily dominated by private property and 3) the two phases may overlap to a large extent.


The next couple of paragraphs lay the groundwork for what Veblen views as the material limitations imposed on these earlier cultures in the development of technology via their instinct of workmanship. Each culture has the inherent ability to further develop their technology and mastery of material conditions but become constrained by the natural environment that they face and in some cases by the older institutions they inherit from elders.


Veblen believes we can make several general statements about transitions between what he calls “the savage state of affairs” to a “barbarian culture” which entails pecuniary control of industry and work conditions. Broadly speaking, one statement is the community has the ability to apply systemic technological means in soil cultivation and animal husbandry to produce a surplus beyond what is required for each individual person or household.  


As the farmer becomes more dependent on technology to grow crops and work with animal, this allows for more control by higher authorities.As Veblen writes, “such a situation carries with it the usufruct of the communities immaterial equipment of technological proficiency” (Veblen, 1914, pg. 151). Usufruct is a term that means the “right to enjoy another's property short of destroying it”. (Oxford Language dictionary).  Veblen mainly means here that private ownership has become an important institution, in particular the ownership of tangible things.


The primary focus for Veblen is this chapter and section has been the movement from a free state of workmanship to pecuniary control of industry.  Although sometimes he uses words that may appear to indicate there is a linear progression from one form of industry to another I do not believe that in actuality he believes it is always or even in most cases a positive change for humanity to move from one state to another. He sometimes puts things in quotes or casts doubt on a certain line of thinking that leads one to believe that he is unable or unwilling to lay down a marker that there is a linear progression from one state to another, that normatively this is always a positive direction when it does happen.


The main thrust is that a creation of an economic surplus beyond the need for household consumption creates the prerequisite conditions for the beginnings of ownership society. Ownership may be of things, people or land. His disdain, which he may have denied existed, is evident as he writes that “even though the self regarding impulses of particular members of the community may set in such a direction” and in a footnote on page 155 “this common rule of a parasitic priesthood”.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Veblens Instinct of Workmanship pg. 234-240

By
 This section starts with Veblen stating that in the handicraft era, the individual craftsman is again the dominant force in the economy.  This in turn implies three key facts that are important to Veblen.  The first key fact is that the instinct of workmanship is an important element in how humans think and act again. we can perhaps think here that the instinct of workmanship is less contaminated by other instincts in the handicraft era. Another key piece is that the "common stock of technological knowledge" is open to all and easily mastered by the individual crafts person. If we recall, Veblen wrote that this technological knowledge is always held in commons by all people but in certain eras it is dominated by a small group of individuals whereas in the handicraft era it is shared by many crafts people. The final key fact is that craft persons can easily understand technical and natural forces as they need to and machines are devised to be in accordance with the needs ...
Read more

Veblen's Instinct of Workmanship pg. 240-253

By
  This section continues Veblen's thinking regarding the evolution of the handicraft era.  The first point he wants to make is that the machine era requires a matter of fact and mechanical approach to work and workmanship as opposed to the era of human dexterity and high touch of the handicraft era. He also notes again how the crafts persons embody the nature of the economy in that era and convince many others that human craftsmanship is the best gauge upon which to assess society. He writs that,  “to serve the needs of this machine technology, therefore, the information which accumulates must in some measure be divested of its naive personal colouring by use and wont; and the degree in which this effect is had is a measure of the degree of availability of the resulting facts for the uses of the machine technology.” (Veblen, pg. 240, 1914). From this point, we observe the shift towards the machine age and perhaps of equal importance the price age.  As Veblen notes on...
Read more

Veblens Instinct of Workmanship pg. 231-234

By
 Chapter 11, the Era of Handicraft pg. 231-234 Veblen starts this chapter by noting that in his mind Eruope had not been characterized by large scale emperors but generally smaller fiefdoms and kingdoms unlike Asia for example. He felt that the Roman Empire was more of a southern European tradition.  Western and northern Europe developed with small scale industry and the handicraft system in the middle ages in particular.  This eventually changed over time as we have already explored as the technology changed and it became impractical for every small handicraft merchant to own capital. In the handicraft era, the habit was that price should be based on a labor theory of value but this changed to become based on freedom between buyer and seller as the capital intensive nature of industry changed. Over time, the owners became a smaller class of people and the workers, who were originally handicraft based, came under the dominion of the owners of capital.   This marked t...
Read more