Absolute power Quote by Lord Acton
“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 or the certainty of corruption by authority.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Essays on History and Politics, 1887
Power inevitably leads to corruption; even without authority, influence can corrupt, especially when combined with absolute power.
In simple terms: Power corrupts, especially when absolute.
Key Takeaway
Beware the corrupting influence of power.
Themes
power
corruption
authority
ethics
political theory
Mood
cautionary
analytical
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- government leadership
- corporate governance
- nonprofit management
Key Concepts
moral decay
absolute authority
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards prevent power from corrupting?
- Can influence be ethical without authority?
A Different Perspective
Power can be used responsibly with strong checks.
![“As Israel made the wants of his national existence the law of the world, as under the dominance of these wants he deified even his political vindictiveness; so the Christian made the requirements of human feeling the absolute powers and laws of the world. [T]hat is, indeed, only of man considered…” quote by Ludwig Feuerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dd1/ludwig-feuerbach-3406_abrahamism_as-israel-made-the-wants-of-his-national_31284.jpg)
