The Impact of Veblen Thought

Zoom Webinar

Veblen’s World of Luxury

The American economist, thinker, scholar and philosopher Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929) taught at The University of Chicago in the 1890s.  He was well-known for many unique peculiarities.

In his book "The Theory of the Leisure Class", Thorstein Veblen articulated how status-seeking motive drives an individuals' conspicuous consumption as a means of impressing peers and society. He defined spending on goods that exceed their practical purposes as ‘conspicuous consumption’ and ‘conspicuous leisure’.

In this new Director’s Pick Series:  “Veblen’s World of Luxury”, you’ll discover more about this influential scholar and how his theories have an impact even today.

Our faculty and experts will discuss who Thorstein Veblen was and what Veblen goods (“luxury goods”) are and why they do not follow traditional concepts of economic supply and demand. What drives the booming luxury market in Asia will also be discussed and you’ll discover the psychology behind people’s behaviour when purchasing luxury products.  Our experts will even share how Veblen viewed a university’s role in society among other Veblen concepts.

Join us for this thought-provoking series!

EP1: The Impact of Veblen Thought

To introduce this series, Professor Jonathan Levy will give a classic UChicago lecture about the life and works of Thorstein Veblen and his long-lasting impact on global society and culture today.

June 2, 2022
8:30 pm    Hong Kong | Beijing | Singapore
6:00 pm    Delhi
2:30 pm    Paris | Italy
1:30 pm     London
7:30 am    Chicago
9:30 pm    Japan | South Korea

Speaker

Jonathan Levy
James Westfall Thompson Professor of US History, Fundamentals, Social Thought, and the College
Associate Faculty Member, Law School
Faculty Chair, Law, Letters, and Society
The University of Chicago

Moderator

Mark Barnekow (MBA’88)
Executive Director
The University of Chicago Francis and Rose Yuen Campus in Hong Kong

About Director’s Pick

From current news, STEM, to arts and history, The University of Chicago Hong Kong Campus Faculty Director and Executive Director share a broad range of interests. The Director’s Pick series catalogs an array of webinars covering various topics that our directors wish to share with our audience. Read More