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

We are the tools are vassals of rich men behind the scenes. We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities, and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes.

John Swinton

Quoted in Chicago Labor Enquirer

More information about this quote
Topic
Journalism
Speaker
John Swinton
Source
Chicago Labor Enquirer
Language
English
Time
1888 1880s 19th century
Authentication Score 1
Citation

Swinton, John. Quoted in Chicago Labor Enquirer. 12 May 1888.

Another quote about Power

Every Communist must grasp the truth: "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."

Mao Zedong

Read this quote at marxists.org
More information about this quote
Topic
Power Political theory Politics
Speaker
Mao Zedong
Medium
Speech
Genre
Political speech
Language
Chinese
Time
1938 1930s 20th century
Authentication Score 2
Citation

Zedong, Mao. "Problems of War and Strategy." Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Party. 6 Nov. 1938, Yan'an, China.

Another quote of the following type Proverbs, aphorisms and adages

When the Sunne shineth make hay.

John Heywood

Proverbs (Heywood)

More information about this quote
Topic
Opportune time Opportunities

Author

John Heywood
Source
Proverbs (Heywood)
Statement Type
Proverbs, aphorisms and adages Advice
Language
English
Time
1580 1580s 16th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Heywood, John. The Proverbs of John Heywood. London: George Bell and Sons, 1874, pt. 1, ch. 3.