THE HIGHER LEARNING IN AMERICA: A Memorandum on the Conduct of Universities by Business Men (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A Critique of Academic Capitalism and University GovernanceBy Thorstein Veblen
Length11h 3m
About this audiobook
In THE HIGHER LEARNING IN AMERICA, Thorstein Veblen offers a caustic, penetrating critique of the modern university's subordination to commercial management and pecuniary ideals. Written as a "memorandum," the book combines sociological analysis, satirical irony, and institutional history, placing it within Progressive Era debates over professionalism, philanthropy, efficiency, and the emerging corporate university. Veblen contrasts disinterested inquiry with administrative control, arguing that business habits deform scholarship's proper aims. Veblen, the Norwegian-American economist and social theorist best known for The Theory of the Leisure Class, brought to this work his lifelong suspicion of status, waste, and predatory business culture. His academic career was itself uneasy and itinerant, marked by conflicts with institutional convention. That experience, joined to his evolutionary economics and anthropology of institutions, sharpened his understanding of how universities could mimic the very competitive and acquisitive systems they ought to examine critically. This book is highly recommended for readers interested in the history of higher education, institutional critique, and the sociology of knowledge. Though written in 1918, its arguments remain strikingly relevant wherever universities are judged by market utility, managerial prestige, or donor influence rather than intellectual independence.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 4.0 (159)
Includes Amazon, Goodreads
GenreEducation and Learning
Length11 hrs 3 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJan 30, 2016
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1THE HIGHER LEARNING IN AMERICA: A Memorandum on the Conduct of Universities by Business Men (Annotated)
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5THE HIGHER LEARNING IN AMERICA: A Memorandum on the Conduct of Universities by Business Men (pt. 1)
Show all chaptersShow less
6THE HIGHER LEARNING IN AMERICA: A Memorandum on the Conduct of Universities by Business Men (pt. 2)
7THE HIGHER LEARNING IN AMERICA: A Memorandum on the Conduct of Universities by Business Men (pt. 3)
8THE HIGHER LEARNING IN AMERICA: A Memorandum on the Conduct of Universities by Business Men (pt. 4)
9THE HIGHER LEARNING IN AMERICA: A Memorandum on the Conduct of Universities by Business Men (pt. 5)
10Analysis
11Reflection
12Memorable Quotes
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