|
|
example, what is it in the economy that is subject to natural selection? How are characteristics passed on from generation to generation? What are the sources of variation, without which there can be no natural selection? How does the struggle for survival play out?
Before proceeding to Veblen’s answers to these questions, it is worth pausing briefly to consider Veblen’s political leanings. There are elements of anarchism, socialism and technocratic elitism in his writing.3 Those “isms” fundamentally contradict each other in important ways, so it is obvious that one cannot attach a convenient label to Veblen. The reader should jettison conventional notions of political left and right.
There is no doubt that Veblen would have preferred a more rational system than the one he saw. Very few writers can match Veblen’s ability to make capitalist institutions look ridiculous. But he never attached himself closely to any political movement, or even wrote very much about politics. He was much more interested in analysis than political agitation. Part of the reason may be his method of analysis. Social engineering without a deep understanding of the evolutionary process is perilous. Tinkering with a society without such an understanding is like tinkering with a person’s genes without a full understanding of what they are, how they work and how they are related.
Another reason Veblen did not embrace political movements might be that he was not optimistic about our ability to effect change. As will be discussed in more detail later, our habits of thought are deeply ingrained. We resist change, especially because we “know” that the current set of institutions is good and right. They may need a little adjusting, but fundamental change is out of the question. In