"Such societies may be called Acquisitive Societies, because their whole
tendency and interest and preoccupation is to promote the acquisition of
wealth. The appeal of this conception... has laid the whole modern world
under its spell. ...It is an invitation to men to use the powers...
without inquiring whether there is any principle by which their exercise
should be limited." --R.H. Tawney, The Acquisitive Society (1920)
The Acquisitive Society (1920), one of R.H. Tawney's most widely read
books, is probably his most influential. In this book, he criticizes the
selfish individualism of modern society and states that capitalism
encourages acquisitiveness, which corrupts everyone, both rich and poor.
Tawney describes how economic inequality and meaningless work are
by-products of capitalism, something which is as relevant and thought
provoking as it was a hundred years ago.