Great men are almost always bad men.
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Liberty is an inherent value that serves everyone, and those in power often misuse it.
This quote emphasizes the intrinsic importance of liberty as a fundamental political goal, rather than a tool for achieving other ambitions. It warns against the corrupting influence of power, suggesting that no class is inherently fit to govern as the nature of power itself can lead to moral decay, ultimately implying that true liberty is essential for justice and equality in society.
Themes
LibertyPowerCorruptionGovernancePolitics
In practice
Example use cases
Discussing the importance of civil liberties in a political debate.
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.
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Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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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.
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Limitation is essential to authority. A government is legitimate only if it is effectively limited.
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To develop and perfect and arm conscience is the great achievement of history.
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