Theunpropertiedclassesemployedinbusinessdonottaketosocialisticvagarieswithsuchalacrityasshouldinspireaconfidenthopeintheadvocatesofsocialismoraseriousapprehensioninthosewhostandforlawandorder。Tbispecuniarilydisfranchisedbusinesspopulation，initsrevulsionagainstunassimilatedfacts，turnsrathertosomeexcursionintopragmaticromance，suchasSocialSettlements，Prohibition，CleanPolitics，SingleTax，ArtsandCrafts，NeighborhoodGuilds，InstitutionalChurch，ChristianScience，NewThought，orsomesuchculturalthimblerig。Theworkofthecaptainofindustryincurtailingtherangeofindividualdiscretioninbusinessandinreducingthelesserundertakerstotherankofclerksandsubalternsneednotbelookeduponasunavoidablyfurtheringthespreadofthesocialisticbias，exceptinsofarasthechangeresultsinthrowingthemenaffectedbyitoutofthepecuniaryorbusinessoccupationsandsubjectingthemtothedisciplineofthemechanicalindustry。Atthemost，apparently，thechangefromanindependenttoadependentbusinesslifeservestoweakenthemen’sinterestinthequestionofproperty；itdoesnotappearthatitthrowsthemintoanattitudeofsubstantialdistrustoriconoclasm。Theirinterestinthisparticularinstitutionslackensthroughthelossofthatemulativemotiveonwhichpecuniaryendeavorproceeds，buttheirfaithinitsintrinsicfitnessisnottherebyshaken，noraretheythrownintothetanksofthechronicdissentients。Thetraininggivenbytheirlifecontinuesprevailinglytorunonconventionalgrounds；thatistosay，ongroundsoflegalrelation，solvency，andthelike。
　　Accountantsandofficeemployeesarenearlyascouservativeasclergymenandlawyers，andtheirbeingsoisapparentlyduetothefactthattheirexperiencerunsonmuchthesamegroundofconventionalfinality。
　　Connectedwiththisapparentselectiveactionwhichthemodemspecializationofoccupationsexerts，thereisafurther，andatfirstsightmoresingular，pointofdisparitybetweenthesocialistsandtheconservatives；andthisdifferencehasalsoacuriouscorrelationwiththedistributionofthemachineindustry。Inadegree，-slightanduncertain，perhaps，butsearcelytobemistaken，-thesocialistsandtheconservativesareapparentlyofdifferentracialantecedents。Ithasbeenseenabovethatthepropagandaismostvitalandwidespreadintheindustrialtowns，ascontrastedwiththeagriculturalcountry。
　　ButiftheresearchesofsuchstudentsasAmmon，Ripley，Lapouge，Closson，andothersthatmightbenamed，aretakenattheirfacevalue，itappearsthatthetownsdifferperceptiblyfromtheopencountryinpointofrace；andthatthemigrationfromthecountryintotheindustrialtownshasaselectiveeffectofsuchakindthatalargerproportionofoneracialstockthanofanotherresortstothetowns。Thetowns，inthosecountrieswheredataareavailable，showalargeradmixtureofthedolicho-blondstockthantheopencountry。Thisseemstoarguethatthedolicho-blondstock，ortheracialmixtureofthetownsinwhichthereisarelativelylargeadmixtureofthedolicho-blond，isperceptiblymoreefficientinthemachineindustries，morereadilyinclinedtothinkinmaterialisticterms，moregiventoradicalinnovation，lessboundbyconventionandprescription。Thisgeneralizationisstrengthenedbythefactthatthemoredolicho-blondregionsarealso，onthewhole，moresocialisticthanthoseinwhichthiselementislessinevidence。Atthesametimetheyareindustriallyinadvanceofthelatterinthematterofmachineindustry；andtheyarealsoProtestantirreligious
　　ratherthanCatholic。
　　This，ofcourse，doesnotholdfortheinoffensivepseudo-socialisticdiversionssetafootbyvariouswell-meaningpoliticiansandclergmen，knownbyvariousqualifyingdesignations，suchas“State，““Christian，““Catholic，“etc。，anddesiredtoactascorrectivesofthesocialisticdistemper。
　　TheculturaleraofNaturalRights，NaturalLiberty，andNaturalReligionreducedGodtotherankofa“GreatArtificer，“
　　andthemachinetechnologyis，inturn，relegatingHimtothatfringeofminoremploymentsandthoseoutlyingindustrialregionstowhichthehandicraftsmenhavebeenretired。
　　ThereisasimilarsuggestionintherelativeslightbutperceptibledeclineofscientificanimusinEnglandsincetheEnglishcommunityhasturneditsattentionandaspirationstoimperialisticfeatsofprowessmorethantoindustrialmatters。
　　Compare，however，Sombart，Kapitalismus，especiallyvol。I。
　　ch。Sombartfindsthemodernseientificconceptofcauseandeffecttobeessentiallyanoutcomeofthedisciplineofaccountancyenforcedbybusinesstraffic。Sothathemakesbusinessenterpriseratherthanmechanicalindustryaccountablefortheriseofmodernscienceandforthematter-of-factcharacterwhichdistinguishesthisscience。Inthisviewthereis，nodoubt，alargeandvaluableelementoftruth。Totheendofamathematicalformulationofcausalphenomenaaswellasatenaciousgraspoftheprincipleofquantitativeequivalence，theaccountancyenfoxedbythepettytradeofearlymoderntimes，aswellasbycommercialtrafficproper，appearstohavegiventhemosteffectivetraining。Insofarasthiselementofquantitativeequivalence，simply，hasdominatedthegrowthofscience，ithasgiven，asitsmostperfectproduct，Positivism。
　　PositivismflourishedatitsbestandfreestinFrance，wherethemoderneconomicculturewascommercialratherthanmechanical。
　　AndwhenthemachinedisciplineseriouslyinvadedFrance，Positivismlanguishedanddied。Butmodernseienceisnotacalculussimply。Itdealsnotwithcalculationsofquantitativeequivalenceonly，butwithefficientcauses，activerelations，creativefoxes。Theconceptofefficientcauseisnotaderivativeofaccountancy，norisitformedintheimageofaccountancy。Butthisgenericconceptofefficientcause，thekineticconcept，antedatesPositivismandhasoutlivedit。Initsearliereighteenth-centuryphasethisconceptshowscloserelationshipwiththenotionofworkmanship，initslaternineteenth-centuryuseithasmuchincommonwiththenotionofmechanicalefficiency。
　　30。Darwin，ofcourse，doesnotstandalone。Heisthegreatexponentofamassmovementwhichinvolvesashiftingofthepointofviewandofthepointofinterestinseientificresearchandspeculation。
　　31。ThisisthesubstanceofDarwin’sadvanceoverLamarck，forinstance。
　　TheTheoryofBusinessEnterprisebyThorsteinVeblen1904
　　TheNaturalDecayofBusinessEnterpriseBroadly，themachinedisciplineactstodisintegratetheinstitutionalheritage，ofalldegreesofantiquityandauthenticity-whetheritbetheinstitutionsthatembodytheprinciplesofnaturallibertyorthosethatcomprisetheresidueofmorearchaicprinciplesofconductstillcurrentincivilizedlife。Ittherebycutsawaythatgroundoflawandorderonwhichbusinessenterpriseisfounded。Thefurtherculturalbearingofthisdisintegrationofthereceivedorderisnodoubtsufficientlyseriousandfar-reaching，butitdoesnotdirectlyconcernthepresentinquiry。Itcomesinquestionhereonlyinsofarassuchadeteriorationofthegeneralculturaltissuesinvolvesasetbacktothecontinuedvigorofbusinessenterprise。
　　Butthefutureofbusinessenterpriseisboundupwiththefutureofcivilization，sincetheculturalschemeis，afterall，asingleone，comprisingmanyinterlockingelements，nooneofwhichcanbegreatlydisturbedwithoutdisturbingtheworkingofalltherest。
　　Initsbearingonthequestioninhand，the“socialproblem“
　　atlargepresentsthissingularsituation。Thegrowthofbusinessenterpriserestsonthemachinetechnologyasitsmaterialfoundation。Themachineindustryisindispensabletoit；itcannotgetalongwithoutthemachineprocess，Butthedisciplineofthemachineprocesscutsawaythespiritual，institutionalfoundationsofbusinessenterprise；themachineindustryisincompatiblewithitscontinuedgrowth；itcannot，inthelongrun，getalongwiththemachineprocess。Intheirstruggleagainsttheculturaleffectsofthemachineprocess，therefore，businessprinciplescannotwininthelongrun；sinceaneffectualmutilationorinhibitionofthemachinesystemwouldgraduallypushbusinessenterprisetothewall；whereaswithafreegrowthofthemachinesystembusinessprincipleswouldpresentlyfallintoabeyance。
　　Theinstitutionalbasisofbusinessenterprisethesystemofnaturalrights-appearstobeapeculiarlyinstableaffair。
　　Thereisnowayofretainingitunderchangingcircumstances，andthereisnowayofreturningtoitaftercircumstanceshavechanged。Itisahybridgrowth，ablendofpersonalfreedomandequalityontheonehandandofprescriptiverightsontheotherhand。Theinstitutionsandpointsoflawunderthenatural-rightsschemeappeartobeofanessentiallyprovisionalcharacter。
　　Thereisrelativelygreatflexibilityandpossibilityofgrowthandchange；naturalrightsaresingularlyinsecureunderanychangeofcircumstances。Themaximiswellapprovedthateternalvigilanceisthepriceofnaturalliberty。When，asnow，thissystemisendangeredbysocialisticoranarchisticdisaffectionthereisnorecoursethatwillcarrytheinstitutionalapparatusbacktoasecurenatural-rightsbasis。Thesystemofnaturallibertywastheproductofapeacefulregimeofhandicraftandpettytrade；butcontinuedpeaceandindustrypresentlycarriedtheculturalgrowthbeyondthephaseofnaturalrightsbygivingrisetothemachineprocessandthelargebusiness；andthesearebreakingdownthestructureofnaturalrightsbymakingtheserightsnugatoryontheonehandandbycuttingawaythespiritualfoundationsofthemontheotherhand。Naturalrightsbeingaby-productofpeacefulindustry，theycannotbereinstatedbyarecoursetowarlikehabitsandacoercivegovernment，sincewarlikehabitsandcoercionarealientothenatural-rightsspirit。Norcantheybereinstatedbyarecoursetosettledpeaceandfreedom，sinceaneraofsettledpeaceandfreedomwouldpushonthedominanceofthemachineprocessandthelargebusiness，whichbreakdownthesystemofnaturalliberty。
　　Whenthequestioniscastupastowhatwillcomeofthisconflictofinstitutionalforces-calledtheSocialProblem-itiscommonlymadeaquestionofremedies:Whatcanbedonetosavecivilizedmankindfromthevulgarizationanddisintegrationwroughtbythemachineindustry？
　　Now，businessenterpriseandthemachineprocessarethetwoprimemoversinmodernculture；andtheonlyrecoursethatholdsapromiseofbeingeffective，therefore，isarecoursetotheworkingsofbusinesstraffic。Andthisisaquestion，notofwhatisconceivably，ideally，idyllicallypossibleforthebusinesscommunitytodoiftheywilltakethoughtandactadvisedlyandconcertedlytowardachosenculturaloutcome，butofwhatistheprobableculturaloutcometobeachievedthroughbusinesstrafficcarriedonforbusinessends，notforculturalends。Itisaquestionnotofwhatoughttobedone，butofwhatistotakeplace。
　　Personswhoaresolicitousfortheculturalfuturecommonlyturntospeculativeadviceastowhatoughttobedonetowardholdingfastthatwhichisgoodintheculturalheritage，andwhatoughtfurthertobedonetoincreasethetalentthathasbeenintrustedtothisgeneration。Thepracticalremedyofferediscommonlysomeproposalforpalliativemeasures，someappealtophilanthropic，aesthetic，orreligioussentiment，someendeavortoconjurewiththenameofoneoranotheroftheepiphenomenaofmodernculture。Somethingmustbedone，itisconceived，andthissomethingtakestheshapeofcharityorganizations，clubsandsocietiesforsocial“purity“，foramusement，education，andmanualtrainingoftheindigentclasses，forcolonizationofthepoor，forpopularizationofchurches，forcleanpolitics，forculturalmissionaryworkbysocialsettlements，andthelike。
　　Theseremedialmeasureswherebyitisproposedtosaveortorehabilitatecertainpraiseworthybutobsolescenthabitsoflifeandofthoughtare，allandseveral，besidethepointsofarastouchesthequestioninhand。Notthatitisherebyintendedtocastasluronthesemeritoriousendeavorstosavemankindbytreatingsymptoms。Thesymptomstreatedarenodoubtevil，astheyaresaidtobe；oriftheyarenotevil，themeritsofthatparticularquestiondonotconcernthepresentinquiry。Theendeavorsinquestionarebesidethepointinthattheydonotfallintotheshapeofabusinessproposition。Theyare，onthewhole，notsoprofitablealineofinvestmentascertainotherventuresthatareopentomodernenterprise。Hence，iftheytraversethecourseofbusinessenterpriseandofindustrialexigencies，theyarenugatory，beinginthesameclasswiththelaborofSisyphus；whereasiftheycoincideineffectwiththelinealongwhichbusinessandindustrialexigenciesmove，theyareaworkofsupererogation，exceptsofarastheymaybeconceivedtoaccelerateachangethatisalreadyunderway。
　　Nothingcandeflectthesweepofbusinessenterprise，unlessitbeanoutgrowthofthisenterpriseitselforoftheindustrialmeansbywhichbusinessenterpriseworks。