The history of institutions is often a history of deception and illusions; for their virtue depends on the ideas that produce and on the spirit that preserves them, and the form may remain unaltered when the substance has passed away. Lord Acton More Quotes by Lord Acton More Quotes From Lord Acton Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Lord Acton leadership work inspirational Socialism means slavery. Lord Acton eugenics political mean Men cannot be made good by the state, but they can easily be made bad. Morality depends on liberty. Lord Acton morality liberty men The issue which has swept down the centuries and which will have to be fought sooner or later is the people versus the banks. Lord Acton issues political people The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern: every class is unfit to govern. Lord Acton government rights class It is easier to find people fit to govern themselves than people fit to govern others. Lord Acton easier fit people Authority that does not exist for Liberty is not authority but force. Lord Acton liberty authority doe A wise person does at once, what a fool does at last. Both do the same thing; only at different times. Lord Acton wise success time And remember, where you have a concentration of power in a few hands, all too frequently men with the mentality of gangsters get control. History has proven that. Lord Acton men peace hands Great men are almost always bad men. Lord Acton corrupt-power power-corrupts men The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority, or rather of that party, not always the majority, that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections. Lord Acton majority-rule democracies-have party History is not a burden on the memory but an illumination of the soul. Lord Acton illumination soul memories Federalism is the best curb on democracy. [It] assigns limited powers to the central government. Thereby all power is limited. It excludes absolute power of the majority. Lord Acton majority democracy government Liberty is not the power of doing what we like, but the right of being able to do what we ought. Lord Acton diversity challenges justice I cannot accept your canon that we are to judge Pope and King unlike other men, with a favorable presumption that they do no wrong. If there is any presumption, it is the other way against holders of power...power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Lord Acton power kings men Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. Lord Acton influence-and-power exercise men It is bad to be oppressed by a minority, but it is worse to be oppressed by a majority. Lord Acton democracies-have equality freedom The true guide of our conduct is no outward authority, but the voice of God, who comes down to dwell in our souls, who knows all our thoughts, to whom are owing all the truth we know, and all the good we do; for vice is voluntary, and virtue comes from the grace of the heavenly spirit within. Lord Acton voice grace god The possession of unlimited power corrodes the conscience, hardens the heart, and confounds the understanding. Lord Acton atheism understanding heart Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. Lord Acton freedom wisdom mean
