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Origin – the short version. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely” is the best known quotation of the 19th century British politician Lord Acton. He borrowed the idea from several other writers who had previously expressed the same thought in different words.
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Power and Authority. “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 of the certainty of corruption by authority.”.
He is best remembered for the remark he wrote in a letter to an Anglican bishop in 1887: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Apr 14, 2023 · Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it. The great object, in trying to understand history, political, religious, literary or scientific, is to get behind men and to grasp ideas.
The proverb, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely” means that whenever a person has power over other people or things, it makes him/her corrupt. It morally destroys their nature and fills them with destructive pride. However, if the person saves himself from this abuse of power, he or she is a humble person.
Lord Acton is popularly remembered for his pungent aphorisms – “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” – but of far deeper significance was his lifelong study of the history of freedom.
Jan 22, 2024 · John Acton's quote, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely," is a timeless reminder of the potential dangers associated with wielding authority. This thought-provoking statement encapsulates the concept that as individuals gain power, there is a tendency for it to corrupt their moral compass and lead them astray.
