As a sociologist, historian, philosopher and economist, Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929) is a major figure in the history of human and social sciences. The objective of this book is, through a systematic approach, to make it easier to understand his thinking and show how Veblen’s work is situated at the crossroads of several disciplines of the social sciences. But it also aims to clarify how Veblen connected scientific thought and social criticism. The idea of a theory of power makes it possible to harmonize the different facets of Veblen’s work and raise our awareness of its relevance today.
Alice Le Goff is Associate Professor of philosophy at the université Paris Descartes, a member of Cerlis (Human and social sciences research laboratory) (UMR 8070) and a junior member of the Institut universitaire de France. Her areas of research are social and political philosophy and the epistemology of the social sciences.