The Limitations of Marginal Utility

Abstract

The article written by the founder of institutionalism and published in 1909 is translated into Russian for the first time. Veblen criticizes different versions of neoclassical theories of production and consumption, trying to consider human behavior in the wide cultural context. He suggests a methodological alternative to neoclassical theory, rebutting teleological explanations of neoclassics and emphasizing causal relations. Moreover Veblen formulates a theoretical alternative: he develops a theory of institutional evolution and describes how habits, customary modes of thought and conventional judgments influence behavior of businessmen and how the analysis of their scheme of life can contribute to deeper understanding of their economic activity.