Richard Henry Tawney was an English economic historian, social critic, and Christian socialist whose work helped shape twentieth century debates about equality, ethics, and the moral foundations of economic life. Educated at Rugby and Balliol College, Oxford, he served as an officer in the First World War and was severely wounded at the Somme, an experience that deeply influenced his views. Tawney became an influential voice in both academia and public policy, known especially for The Acquisitive Society (1921) and Religion and the Rise of Capitalism (1926).

Tawney’s scholarship combined rigorous historical analysis with a concern for social justice and the common good, and he played an important role in the early development of the British Labour Party’s intellectual tradition. A long-time professor at the London School of Economics, he was widely respected for his careful research, moral seriousness, and deep engagement with questions of economic organisation and human flourishing.