Great men are almost always bad men.
Lord ActonRead
To develop and perfect and arm conscience is the great achievement of history.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of cultivating one's moral compass throughout history.
Lord Acton highlights that throughout the course of history, the true achievement lies in the development, perfection, and empowerment of human conscience. This suggests that moral awareness and ethical understanding are pivotal for societal progress and improvement.
Themes
ConscienceHistoryMoral DevelopmentEthical GrowthAchievement
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate about historical figures, one might quote Lord Acton to emphasize the importance of moral responsibility.
More from Lord Acton
All quotes →Save for the wild force of Nature, nothing moves in this world that is not Greek in its origin.
Lord ActonRead
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Lord ActonRead
Liberty and good government do not exclude each other; and there are excellent reasons why they should go together. Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end.
Lord ActonRead
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end...liberty is the only object which benefits all alike, and provokes no sincere opposition...The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. ~ Every class is unfit to govern ... Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.
Lord ActonRead
Limitation is essential to authority. A government is legitimate only if it is effectively limited.
Lord ActonRead
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