Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.

Lord Acton

More information about this quote

Topic

Abuse of power Power Great men Corruption

Speaker

Lord Acton

Source

Letters of Lord Acton

Medium

Letter

Statement Type

Proverbs, aphorisms and adages

Language

English

Time

1887 1880s 19th century

Occupation

Politician Writer

From

United Kingdom Europe

Authentication Score 0

Citation

Lord Acton. Letter to Archbishop Mandell Creighton. 5 Apr. 1887.

Illustrated Quote

A quote by Lord Acton about abuse of power: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men…”
Download
A quote by Lord Acton about abuse of power: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men…”
Download
A quote by Lord Acton about abuse of power: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men…”
Download

Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote from the 1880s

If I can stop one Heart from breaking
I shall not live in vain
If I can ease one Life the Aching
Or cool one Pain
Or help one fainting Robin
Unto his Nest again
I shall not live in Vain.

Emily Dickinson

Read If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Helping others

Author

Emily Dickinson
Source
If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking Poems
Medium
Poem
Language
English
Time
1886 1880s 19th century
Authentication Score 3
Original Citation

Dickinson, Emily. "If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking." Poems by Emily Dickinson. Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1890, I. 1.

Current Citation

Dickinson, Emily. "If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking." Emily Dickinson’s Poems: As She Preserved Them, edited by Cristanne Miller. Belknap Press, 2016, I. 1.

Another quote about Power

Power may justly be compared to a great River, while kept within its due Bonds, is both Beautiful and Useful; but when it overflows its Banks, it is then too impetuous to be stemm'd, it bears down all before it, and brings Destruction and Desolation wherever it comes. If then this is the Nature of Power, let us at least do our Duty, and like wise Men (who value Freedom) use our utmost Care to support Liberty, the only Bulwark against lawless Power, which in all Ages has sacrificed to it's wild Lust and boundless Ambition, the Blood of the best Men that ever liv'd.

Andrew Hamilton

More information about this quote
Topic
Nature of power Power
Speaker
Andrew Hamilton
Language
English
Time
1735 1730s 18th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Hamilton, Andrew. Argument in John Peter Zenger Trial. 1735, New York's City Hall, New York, NY, USA.

Another quote of the following type Proverbs, aphorisms and adages

Not all those who wander are lost.

J.R.R. Tolkien

Buy The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring at Amazon Buy The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring at Amazon
More information about this quote
Topic
Wandering Exploration Taking one's time
Speaker
Gandalf

Author

J.R.R. Tolkien
Source
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Medium
Novel
Genre
Fantasy
Statement Type
Proverbs, aphorisms and adages Metaphor, analogy and simile
Language
English
Time
1954 1950s 20th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. George Allen & Unwin, 1954, ch. 10.