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

The truth is, that the law is always approaching, and never reaching, consistency. It is forever adopting new principles from life at one end, and it always retains old ones from history at the other, which have not yet been absorbed or sloughed off. It will become entirely consistent only when it ceases to grow.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

More information about this quote
Topic
Evolution of law Nature of law Law

Author

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Language
English
Time
1880 1880s 19th century
Authentication Score 3
Original Citation

Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Jr. "Early Forms of Liability." 23 Nov. 1880, The Lowell Institute, Boston, MA, USA.

Current Citation

Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Jr. "Early Forms of Liability." The Common Law. Belknap Press, 2009.

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

Great Estates may venture more;
Little Boats must keep near Shore.

Poor Richard (Benjamin Franklin)

Buy Poor Richard's Almanack at Amazon Buy Poor Richard's Almanack at Amazon
Read this proverb at the National Archives website
More information about this quote
Topic
Appetite for risk Taking risks Risk Rich vs. poor

Author

Poor Richard (Benjamin Franklin)
Source
Poor Richard's Almanack
Medium
Almanac
Statement Type
Proverbs, aphorisms and adages Metaphor, analogy and simile
Language
English
Time
1751 1750s 18th century
Era
Colonial America
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Franklin, Benjamin [published as Richard Saunders]. Poor Richard Improved. Philadelphia, 1751.

Current Citation

Franklin, Benjamin. "Poor Richard Improved." Benjamin Franklin: Autobiography, Poor Richard, and Later Writings, edited by J. A. Leo Lemay. Library of America, 2005.