---
title: "2 Benevolent Despot Quotes by 2 authors"
description: "Browse 2 Benevolent Despot quotes by 2 authors. Discover the best Benevolent Despot sayings and thoughts."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/865/george-bernard-shaw-68_benevolent_if-despotism-failed-only-for-want-of-a-c_37739.png"
---

> [If Despotism failed only for want of a capable benevolent despot, what chance has Democracy, which requires a whole population of capable voters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/if-despotism-failed-only-for-want-of-a-capable-benevolent-despot-what/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/865/george-bernard-shaw-68_benevolent_if-despotism-failed-only-for-want-of-a-c_37739.png)

> [Absolute power corrupts even when exercised for humane purposes. The benevolent despot who sees himself as a shepherd of the people still demands from others the submissiveness of sheep. The taint inherent in absolute power is not its inhumanity but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/absolute-power-corrupts-even-when-exercised-for-humane-purposes-the/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/eric-hoffer-343_absolute-power_absolute-power-corrupts-even-when-exerci_2759982.jpg)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benevolent-despot/#itemlist",
            "name": "Benevolent Despot Quotes",
            "numberOfItems": 2,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "If Despotism failed only for want of a capable benevolent despot, what chance has Democracy, which requires a whole population of capable voters.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "George Bernard Shaw"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/if-despotism-failed-only-for-want-of-a-capable-benevolent-despot-what/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/865/george-bernard-shaw-68_benevolent_if-despotism-failed-only-for-want-of-a-c_37739.png",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/865/george-bernard-shaw-68_benevolent_if-despotism-failed-only-for-want-of-a-c_37739.png",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/865/george-bernard-shaw-68_benevolent_if-despotism-failed-only-for-want-of-a-c_37739.png",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“If Despotism failed only for want of a capable benevolent despot, what chance has Democracy, which requires…” — George Bernard Shaw",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Absolute power corrupts even when exercised for humane purposes. The benevolent despot who sees himself as a shepherd of the people still demands from others the submissiveness of sheep. The taint inherent in absolute power is not its inhumanity but its anti-humanity.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Eric Hoffer"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/absolute-power-corrupts-even-when-exercised-for-humane-purposes-the/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/eric-hoffer-343_absolute-power_absolute-power-corrupts-even-when-exerci_2759982.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/eric-hoffer-343_absolute-power_absolute-power-corrupts-even-when-exerci_2759982.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/eric-hoffer-343_absolute-power_absolute-power-corrupts-even-when-exerci_2759982.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Absolute power corrupts even when exercised for humane purposes. The benevolent despot who sees himself as a…” — Eric Hoffer",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benevolent-despot/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benevolent-despot/",
            "name": "Benevolent Despot Quotes",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benevolent-despot/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/865/george-bernard-shaw-68_benevolent_if-despotism-failed-only-for-want-of-a-c_37739.png"
            },
            "description": "Browse 2 Benevolent Despot quotes by 2 authors. Discover the best Benevolent Despot sayings and thoughts.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benevolent-despot/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benevolent-despot/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Benevolent Despot Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benevolent-despot/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```