The Conservation of Archaic Traits Summary and Analysis

"The institution of a leisure class has an effect not only upon social structure but also upon the individual character of the embers of society. So soon as a given proclivity or a given point of view has won acceptance as an authoritative standard or norm of life it will react upon the character of the members of the society which has accepted it as a norm" (Chap. 9, p. 212).

The institutions change and that brings about a change in habits and thoughts. Changes in the institutions bring about a change in human nature. There is a natural selection process among the ethnic types. Veblen distinguishes three ethnic types: the dolichocephalic-blond, the brachycephalic brunette, and the Mediterranean. Each of these types contains the elements of variation between peaceable or ante-predatory and predatory. The ante-predatory...