--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Absolute power could, as its defenders…" description: "\"“Absolute power could, as its defenders argued, be enlightened, beneficial, and benign. To liberals that was not enough. Absolute power could also chan..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db5/edmund-fawcett-42600_absolute-power_absolute-power-could-as-its-defenders-ar_2727145.jpg" --- # Absolute power could, as its defenders argued, be… ![“Absolute power could, as its defenders argued, be enlightened, beneficial, and benign. To liberals that was not enough. Absolute power could also change its mind when it wanted. It could turn harmful and malign. Intentions changed. Capacities lasted. Power was not to be trusted.” quote by Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db5/edmund-fawcett-42600_absolute-power_absolute-power-could-as-its-defenders-ar_2727145.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db5/edmund-fawcett-42600_absolute-power_absolute-power-could-as-its-defenders-ar_2727145.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db5/edmund-fawcett-42600_absolute-power_absolute-power-could-as-its-defenders-ar_2727145.jpg) > ““Absolute power could, as its defenders argued, be enlightened, beneficial, and benign. To liberals that was not enough. Absolute power could also change its mind when it wanted. It could turn harmful and malign. Intentions changed. Capacities lasted. Power was not to be trusted.”” [Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Absolute power is inherently unstable; even when presented as benevolent, it can become harmful when unchecked. **In simple terms:** Power can become dangerous if not trusted or limited. Key Takeaway Limit and monitor power structures. Themes politics power dynamics trust governance Mood skeptical reflective serious Type political philosophical ethical When to use this quote - government policy - corporate leadership - nonprofit governance - public administration Key Concepts authoritarian risk ethical leadership institutional checks Questions to Reflect On - How can societies ensure power remains accountable? - What mechanisms prevent power from becoming harmful? A Different Perspective Power can be abused despite good intentions; oversight is essential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolute power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolute-power/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) ## Related quotes > [You have the absolute power to change someone's life with kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-mega/you-have-the-absolute-power-to-change-someone-s-life-with-kindness/) [Curt Mega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-mega/) > [No economic, political or military power can compare with the power of a change of mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willis-harman/no-economic-political-or-military-power-can-compare-with-the-power-of/) [Willis Harman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willis-harman/) > [We are living through one of the most fundamental shifts in history- a change in the actual belief structure of Western society. No economic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willis-harman/we-are-living-through-one-of-the-most-fundamental-shifts-in-history-a/) [Willis Harman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willis-harman/) > [Always remember, YOU have the power to change your life because YOU have the power to change your mind!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/always-remember-you-have-the-power-to-change-your-life-because-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When you start to accept responsibility for the results you get in life, you also take back the power to change your future outcome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ngo/when-you-start-to-accept-responsibility-for-the-results-you-get-in/) [Kevin Ngo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ngo/) > [“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-emerich-edward-dalberg-acton/power-tends-to-corrupt-and-absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely-great/) [John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-emerich-edward-dalberg-acton/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I don't think comedy really does change people's minds; I think you can only get someone who is almost ready to change their mind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jefferies/i-don-t-think-comedy-really-does-change-people-s-minds-i-think-you/) [Jim Jefferies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jefferies/) > [Every individual has the power to change his or her material or financial status by first changing the nature of his or her beliefs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/every-individual-has-the-power-to-change-his-or-her-material-or/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [“You have the power to change anything, because you are the one who chooses your thoughts and you are the one who feels your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/you-have-the-power-to-change-anything-because-you-are-the-one-who/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-de-angelis/no-one-is-in-control-of-your-happiness-but-you-therefore-you-have-the/) [Barbara De Angelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-de-angelis/) > [Never give your opinion for other's life because time has the power to change an ordinary coal to a sparkling Diamoand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anamika-singh/never-give-your-opinion-for-other-s-life-because-time-has-the-power/) [Anamika Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anamika-singh/) > [“That’s the past. I have even less power to change it now than I did to stop it then.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-g/that-s-the-past-i-have-even-less-power-to-change-it-now-than-i-did-to/) Jessie G > [There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-j-wheatley/there-is-no-power-for-change-greater-than-a-community-discovering/) [Margaret J. Wheatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-j-wheatley/) > [When we feel we are powerless our ego most wants to change the things in our world. As we realize we have the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregg-braden/when-we-feel-we-are-powerless-our-ego-most-wants-to-change-the-things/) [Gregg Braden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregg-braden/) ## More by Edmund Fawcett > [“First, human character was varied. Second, pleasure lay less in feeling things than in doing things, that is in pursuits and activities. Last, certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/first-human-character-was-varied-second-pleasure-lay-less-in-feeling/) [Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/) > [“Whatever the liberal mood, the task of containing and utilizing conflict was never over, just as the task was never over of resisting power.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/whatever-the-liberal-mood-the-task-of-containing-and-utilizing/) [Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/) > [“Looked at from the point of view of citizens, liberalism is a practice of politics for people who will not be bossed about or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/looked-at-from-the-point-of-view-of-citizens-liberalism-is-a-practice/) [Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/) > [“But people were not ideal, and politics had to work with people as they were.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/but-people-were-not-ideal-and-politics-had-to-work-with-people-as/) [Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/) > [“Modern liberty in contrast was protection from unwanted interference by state or society.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/modern-liberty-in-contrast-was-protection-from-unwanted-interference/) [Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/) > [“leader of the Baden liberals, Carl von Rotteck, had cried “I prefer freedom without unity to unity without freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/leader-of-the-baden-liberals-carl-von-rotteck-had-cried-i-prefer/) [Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/) > [“To make laws for the regulation of trade,” he said in 1836, “is as wise as it would be to legislate about water finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/to-make-laws-for-the-regulation-of-trade-he-said-in-1836-is-as-wise/) [Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/) > [“The same man,” Roosevelt said, “who tells us that he does not want to see the government interfere with business . . . is the first to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/the-same-man-roosevelt-said-who-tells-us-that-he-does-not-want-to-see/) [Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/) > [“Good governance depends on the balance of forces.” In avoiding the domination of one power, he was echoing Madison and Guizot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/good-governance-depends-on-the-balance-of-forces-in-avoiding-the/) [Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/) [Explore all 10 Edmund Fawcett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/) ## More Absolute power quotes > [“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-emerich-edward-dalberg-acton/power-tends-to-corrupt-and-absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely-great/) [John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-emerich-edward-dalberg-acton/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [“As Israel made the wants of his national existence the law of the world, as under the dominance of these wants he deified even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-feuerbach/as-israel-made-the-wants-of-his-national-existence-the-law-of-the/) [Ludwig Feuerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-feuerbach/) > [Sometimes we like to think if we had power, that we would be different, and we would be omnipotent, but the truth is absolute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ackie/sometimes-we-like-to-think-if-we-had-power-that-we-would-be-different/) [Naomi Ackie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ackie/) > [Absolute power, as we have always known, corrupts absolutely; it corrupts because it does not do the trick for the individual. Reality always creeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/absolute-power-as-we-have-always-known-corrupts-absolutely-it/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [A nation of slaves is always prepared to applaud the clemency of their master who, in the abuse of absolute power, does not proceed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/a-nation-of-slaves-is-always-prepared-to-applaud-the-clemency-of/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pitt-1st-earl-of-chatham/unlimited-power-is-apt-to-corrupt-the-minds-of-those-who-possess-it/) [William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pitt-1st-earl-of-chatham/) > [The Book of Job is advice on how to live in terms of the absolute power of nature. Leviathan is advice on how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-phillip-verene/the-book-of-job-is-advice-on-how-to-live-in-terms-of-the-absolute/) [Donald Phillip Verene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-phillip-verene/) > [God cannot approve of a system of servitude, in which the master is guilty of assuming absolute power - of assuming God's place and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/god-cannot-approve-of-a-system-of-servitude-in-which-the-master-is/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) > [“With absolute power, corruption and evil seep in humanity, and that evil continues to flourish as the good of humankind lies idle in darkness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/with-absolute-power-corruption-and-evil-seep-in-humanity-and-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you are an eighteen or nineteen-year-old with little education, as is often the case, and you're put in charge of many, many people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaroslav-trofimov/if-you-are-an-eighteen-or-nineteen-year-old-with-little-education-as/) [Yaroslav Trofimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaroslav-trofimov/) > [“As history has also shown, especially in the twentieth century, one of the first things an ideologue will do after achieving absolute power is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/as-history-has-also-shown-especially-in-the-twentieth-century-one-of/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [We're taught Lord Acton's axiom: all power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. I believed that when I started these books, but I don't believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/we-re-taught-lord-acton-s-axiom-all-power-corrupts-absolute-power/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Absolute power can only be supported by error, ignorance and prejudice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/absolute-power-can-only-be-supported-by-error-ignorance-and-prejudice/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Has justice ever grown in the soil of absolute power? Has not justice always come from the ... heart and spirit of men who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/has-justice-ever-grown-in-the-soil-of-absolute-power-has-not-justice/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) [Browse all 180 Absolute power quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolute-power/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Absolute power could, as its defenders argued, be enlightened, beneficial, and benign. To liberals that was not enough. Absolute power could also change its mind when it wanted. It could turn harmful and malign. Intentions changed. Capacities lasted. 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