An Inquiry Into the Nature of Peace and the Terms of Its Perpetuation

Thorstein Veblen's An Inquiry Into the Nature of Peace and the Terms of Its Perpetuation is a hard-edged study of war, business power, and the social habits that keep conflict alive. Veblen argues that peace cannot be separated from economics, nationalism, and the organization of industrial society, and he does so with calm, skeptical force.

It suits readers interested in political economy, social theory, and antiwar thought. The book asks how institutions reward aggression and why modern states so often turn competition into a way of life. It remains useful for readers who want a serious, unsentimental account of militarism and the pressures behind it. That makes the book especially useful for readers interested in modern diplomacy, imperial rivalry, and the economics behind public power itself.