# Industrial Democracy and Freedom in The Acquisitive Society

> Theme guide for The Acquisitive Society by R. H. Tawney.

Tawney argues that political freedom is impossible without industrial freedom, criticizing the 'industrial feudalism' that concentrates authority in owners and denies workers control over their working lives.

## Where it surfaces

- [The Condition of Efficiency](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_acquisitive_society_se/chapters/the-condition-of-efficiency): Advocates for transferring control to bodies representing workers and consumers, and for enlisting professional pride as a substitute for capitalist discipline.
- [The Position of the Brain Worker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_acquisitive_society_se/chapters/the-position-of-the-brain-worker): Advocates for a system where authority is allocated by function, not by property, and where brain workers have professional autonomy and are judged by colleagues rather than owners.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_acquisitive_society_se/themes/industrial_democracy_and_freedom
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_acquisitive_society_se/themes