The Vested Interests and the State of the Industrial Arts

work by Veblen

Also known as: “The Vested Interests and the Common Man: The Modern Point of View and the New Order”(Show More)

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

Thorstein Veblen's "The Vested Interests and the State of the Industrial Arts" (1919) critiques how established economic and social privileges, or "vested interests," hinder industrial progress and efficiency. Veblen argued that those who control business enterprises prioritize profit over the effective management of industrial arts, leading to wasted resources and human effort. He believed that a conflict exists between the human drive for useful work and the irrationalities of business and finance. Veblen suggested that engineers, possessing the knowledge to optimize industry, should lead its direction to ensure efficiency rather than profit.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Thorstein Veblen
Later works and career
…published in book form as The Vested Interests and the State of the Industrial Arts (1919; republished as The Vested Interests and the Common Man: The Modern Point of View and the New Order). Another series of articles that appeared in The Dial was later published in the book The…
Read More
…published in book form as The Vested Interests and the State of the Industrial Arts (1919; republished as The Vested Interests and the Common Man: The Modern Point of View and the New Order). Another series of articles that appeared in The Dial was later published in the book The…
Read More