Great men are almost always bad men.
Lord ActonRead
Despotic power is always accompanied by corruption of morality.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Absolutism leads to moral decay.
Lord Acton's quote highlights the intrinsic link between unchecked power and the erosion of ethical values. It suggests that when authority becomes despotic, it not only affects the actions of those who wield it but also corrupts the moral framework of society, leading to a failure in integrity and justice.
Themes
PowerCorruptionMoralityAuthorityEthics
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a discussion about political power and its influence on ethics in governance.
More from Lord Acton
All quotes βSave 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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