Famous quote by Lord Acton

Mobile Desktop
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely
Like

"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"

- Lord Acton

About this Quote

This quote by Lord Acton is a warning about the threats of power. It recommends that when someone has power, it can cause corruption, and when somebody has absolute power, it can result in outright corruption. This implies that the more power someone has, the more likely they are to abuse it. This quote is a suggestion that power ought to not be ignored, and that it needs to be utilized responsibly. It also functions as a cautioning to those in positions of power to be aware of the potential for corruption and to use their power carefully. It is a reminder that power can be a harmful thing, which it ought to be used with care.

About the Author

United Kingdom Flag This quote is written / told by Lord Acton between January 10, 1834 and June 19, 1902. He/she was a famous Historian from United Kingdom. The author also have 26 other quotes.

Go to author profile

Similar Quotes

Small: Power is given only to those who dare to lower themselves and pick it up. Only one thing matters, one thing to
Fyodor Dostoevsky
"Power is given only to those who dare to lower themselves and pick it up. Only one thing matters, one thing; to be able to dare!"
Fyodor Dostoevsky, Novelist
Small: Prestige is the shadow of money and power - C. Wright Mills
C. Wright Mills
"Prestige is the shadow of money and power"
C. Wright Mills, Sociologist
Small: Dont let your will roar when your power only whispers - Thomas Fuller
Thomas Fuller
"Don't let your will roar when your power only whispers"
Thomas Fuller, Clergyman
Small: Power wears out those who dont have it - Giulio Andreotti
Giulio Andreotti
"Power wears out those who don't have it"
Giulio Andreotti, Politician
Small: There is no power on earth more formidable than the truth - Margaret Lee Runbeck
Margaret Lee Runbeck
"There is no power on earth more formidable than the truth"
Margaret Lee Runbeck, Author
Small: Hope... is the companion of power, and the mother of success for who so hopes has within him the gift of mirac
Samuel Smiles
"Hope... is the companion of power, and the mother of success; for who so hopes has within him the gift of miracles"
Samuel Smiles, Author
Small: The strength and power of despotism consists wholly in the fear of resistance - Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine
"The strength and power of despotism consists wholly in the fear of resistance"
Thomas Paine, Writer
Small: Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty - Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
"Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty"
Ronald Reagan, President
Small: There is only one way to happiness, and that is to cease worrying things which are beyond the power of our wil
Epictetus
"There is only one way to happiness, and that is to cease worrying things which are beyond the power of our will"
Epictetus, Philosopher
Small: The power to question is the basis of all human progress - Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
"The power to question is the basis of all human progress"
Indira Gandhi, Statesman