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nydus/The Theory of Business EnterprisePublic

Thorstein Veblen examines the modern industrial system as a structure defined by the machine process and investment for profit. He analyzes how business enterprise and the pursuit of financial gain serve as the primary forces directing contemporary economic organization.

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Table of Contents

Business Principles

necessarily rated as variar tions on the part of the other factors in the case, not as variations of the base line. The business man judges of events from the standpoint of ownership, and ownership runs in terma of money .^

Investments are made for profit, and indus- J trial plants and processes are capitalized on the basis of their profitryielding capacity. In the accepted scheme of things among business men, profits are included as intrinsic to the conduct of business. So that, in place of the presumption in favor of a simple pecuniary stability of wealth, such as prevails in the rating of possessions outside of business traffic, there prevails within the range of business

■ Tbe conventional acceptance of the money unit u an invariable meaiiure of value and standard of wealth Is of very ancient deriTation. (Ct. Carllle, Enulutinn of Modtrn Monty, pt. II. ch, I; Hidgeway, Origin of MetdlUc. Currtwy and Wright Stnndarda. ch. I., II.) lU present-dSiy eoDseiiaences are also of Sral-nte Imporutnce, is will bt Indicated in a later chapter.

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