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. Acton-Creighton Correspondence. https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/acton-acton-creighton-correspondence#lf1524_label_010

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

God made integers, all else is the work of man.

Leopold Kronecker

More information about this quote
Topic
Mathematics
Speaker
Leopold Kronecker
Medium
Lecture
Language
German
Time
1886 1880s 19th century
Authentication Score 1
Citation

Kronecker, Leopold. Berliner Naturforscher-Versammlung im Jahre. 1886, Berlin, Germany. Lecture.

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, New York, USA. Speech.

Another quote of the following type Proverbs, aphorisms and adages

Rome was not built in one day.

John Heywood

Proverbs (Heywood)

More information about this quote
Topic
Accomplishing a task

Author

John Heywood
Source
Proverbs (Heywood)
Statement Type
Proverbs, aphorisms and adages
Language
English
Time
1546 1540s 16th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Heywood, John. The Proverbs of John Heywood. 1546, pt. 1, ch. 11.